Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell on April 9, 2025.
Timothy A. Clary | Afp | Getty Images
Stock futures were little changed on Monday, as investors prepare for a fresh inflation report.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 20 points, or 0.05%. Nasdaq 100 futures inched up 0.11%, alongside S&P 500 futures, which added 0.2%.
Investors are keenly focused on Tuesday’s consumer price index report, hoping to gather potential insight into how the Federal Reserve will handle short-term interest rates, especially as the S&P 500 hovers near an all-time high. Economists polled by Dow Jones expect the index to advance 0.2% month-over-month in July, and 2.8% on an annualized basis. So-called core CPI, which strips out food and energy from the reading, is expected to climb 0.3% month-over-month and 3.1% year over year.
Investors largely ignored President Donald Trump’s decision earlier Monday to extend his 90-day pause on the higher levies on Chinese goods.
“Investors seem to be betting on upcoming interest rate cuts and counting on them to counteract the drag from tariffs. We think it is too early to make that assumption,” said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management. “The degree of tariff impacts and how long they will take to work through the economy remain open questions. In the meantime, high equity valuations may heighten the impact any negative developments have on stock returns.”
Wall Street will also parse Thursday’s producer price index report for a reading on wholesale inflation. Both reports come ahead of the Fed’s Jackson Hole gathering at the end of August, ahead of the central bank’s September policy meeting. The market is currently pricing in a nearly 87% chance of a rate cut next month, per trading data from the CME’s FedWatch Tool.
Specialty chemical company Celanese shares crater 15% after disappointing forecast
Specialty chemical company Celanese shares tumbled 15% after the bell following its warning that it sees “a softening demand environment across most key end-markets in the second half of the year.”
The company said its order books “are developing at a slower pace so far compared to last quarter” and it expects third-quarter earnings to fall between $1.10 and $1.40 per share. That forecast is sharply below the $1.73 per share consensus estimate from LSEG.
The news came as Celanese reported a strong second quarter, with both earnings and revenue solidly outpacing Wall Street estimates.
—Christina Cheddar Berk
Sinclair stock soars as it weighs merger options
One of the largest owners of U.S. TV broadcast stations, Sinclair, has embarked on a strategic review of its business, which could result in a merger or a possible spinoff of its ventures business. The news sent shares of Sinclair soaring 27% in extended trading, and it follows on the heels of earlier reports that Nexstar Media Group is in talks to buy Tegna. Tegna shares gained 30% on Monday, while Nexstar added 4%.
—Christina Cheddar Berk
Stock futures are little changed on Monday
Stock futures were little changed on Monday evening, as investors turn their attention to the forthcoming July consumer price index report.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered near the flatline, alongside S&P 500 futures. Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.03%.
— Brian Evans
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