U.S. stock futures edged higher on Thursday as investors looked ahead to key inflation data that could influence market direction. The S&P 500 futures also rebounded, turning positive after Wednesday’s sell‑off. After a tech‑led pullback, the broader market has bounced back, though investors remain cautious as the November inflation report approaches. According to the latest data, futures linked to the S&P 500 moved up 0.4% to around 6907, while Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.8%.
Jim Cagnina, Co-host of Ninja Trader Live, posted on X that stock index futures are higher across the board ahead of this morning’s data releases, with E-mini S&P 500 futures up 0.42% and rebounding modestly after the week’s selloff, that the E-mini S&P 500 futures contract is currently trading off of the anchored VWAP from the October 29 highs aligning with the 38.1% Fibonacci retracement which continues to act as support, and that momentum has weakened with the MACD crossing below the signal line and continuing to slope lower, reinforcing a cautious near-term bias.
Traders expect the November PCE price index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, to be released on December 18, 2025, with the expected monthly PCE at 0.2% and yearly at 2.7%. Expert analysts believe that a softer reading could strengthen the rate-cut bets under President Trump’s administration, which ultimately boosts equities. November’s consumer price index reading will be the first consumer inflation report issued to the public after the U.S. government shutdown, which ended last month.
Micron Technology surged over 10% in premarket trading after it exceeded Wall Street analyst expectations and went beyond their estimates on the top and bottom lines for the fiscal first quarter. Oracle, the global tech giant, fell more than 5% after its primary investor withdrew from the company’s planned $10 billion Michigan data center project. Oracle’s poor run continues, and Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group, stated that Oracle’s bad day continued to add to the recent tech jitters, but it was important to take a step back and consider that technology was still up 20% for the year and had just had one of its longest win streaks in history. He concluded that the bottom line was that some air was being let out of the balloon, but the overall market was hanging in, all things considered.
The Economic Times reported that Dow Jones futures stood at 48,262, up 22 points or 0.05%, while S&P 500 futures were at 6,799.75, rising 21.25 points or 0.31%. It also noted that Nasdaq futures reached 25,051.75, gaining 153 points or 0.61%. According to The Economic Times, the top pre-market gainers were Sable Offshore Corp. (SOC): +45.08% to $7.66, Safe Pro Group (SPAI): +24.46% to $4.02, Micron Technology (MU): +9.58% to $247.12, Bitcoin Infrastructure Acquisition (BIXI): +6.17% to $10.50, Recursion Pharmaceuticals (RXRX): +4.27% to $4.88, Tesla (TSLA): +1.50% to $474.27, Nvidia (NVDA): +0.88% to $172.45, Plug Power (PLUG): +0.93% to $2.18.
