Stock Futures Dip as Investors Await Key Inflation Data
US stock futures edged lower on Friday, retreating from record highs as markets braced for the release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index—the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 0.2%, while Nasdaq 100 contracts slipped 0.2%. The S&P 500 held steady after closing at a fresh peak.
Investor Optimism from Thursday's rally faded as attention turned to the PCE report, due at 8:30 a.m. ET. The data could reinforce or undermine growing expectations for a September rate cut, a possibility Fed Chair Jerome Powell recently acknowledged during his Jackson Hole remarks. Market participants are weighing resilient economic signals against persistent inflation risks, exacerbated by new trade tariffs.
