U.S. Stock Futures Stabilize Amid Inflation Data Focus

U.S. stock index futures rose slightly after a week of downturns as investors focused on key inflation data that could impact Federal Reserve monetary policy. Traders anticipate a 25-basis-point rate cut in July. Meanwhile, Nvidia and Microsoft faced oversight concerns on AI spending, impacting stock performances.

U.S. stock index futures showed modest gains on Friday, recovering from significant losses earlier this week as investor attention turned to the upcoming release of the Personal Consumption Expenditure index, a crucial inflation metric for the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision.

As of early morning, Dow E-mini futures climbed by 0.29%, S&P 500 E-mini futures rose by 0.30%, and Nasdaq 100 E-mini futures were up by 0.23%. Investors are keenly awaiting the inflation data, which is predicted to reveal a 2.5% annual increase for January, potentially influencing the Federal Reserve's rate decisions amid a hawkish stance on interest rates.

With expectations that the Fed may cut borrowing costs by 25 basis points in July, investors remain cautious. Wall Street's indexes continue to face pressure from economic slowdown concerns and potential overspending by tech giants on AI infrastructure. China's trade tensions with the U.S., coupled with Trump's tariff threats, further complicate the market outlook.

(With inputs from agencies.)