US Stock Futures Edge Higher Despite Hot Inflation Report

Futures tied to major U.S. stock indices gained ground on Thursday despite a hotter-than-expected January inflation report.

Indices Advanced:

* Dow Jones futures (YM=F) climbed 0.1%.
* Nasdaq futures (NQ=F) rose 0.2%.
* S&P 500 futures (ES=F) gained 0.2%.

Inflation Data Raises Rate Concerns:

* January's inflation report showed consumer prices rising more than forecast, with inflation hovering around 3%.
* This makes it less likely that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in the near future.

Corporate Earnings:

* Reddit (RDDT) stock fell in after-hours trading after reporting a miss in user growth.
* Robinhood (HOOD) shares surged after beating earnings expectations for the fourth quarter.

Additional Data on Thursday:

* Wall Street will receive further inflation data with the release of the producer price index (PPI) at 8:30 a.m. ET.
* Earnings reports are also expected from AirBnB (ABNB), Roku (ROKU), and Coinbase (COIN).

Trade War Developments:

* President Trump's ongoing trade war with China remains a potential risk factor.
* The president is expected to announce reciprocal tariffs by the end of the week.

Asian Markets Advance:

* Asian stocks rose on Thursday, driven by optimism surrounding US-Russian peace talks and the rise of AI.
* Nikkei 225 gained 1.3%, Kospi climbed 0.9%, while Shanghai Composite slipped 0.2%.

Energy Markets:

* Oil prices declined, with Brent crude falling 2.7% to below $72 a barrel amid optimism over peace talks.
* Exxon Mobil's (XOM) stock fell 3%, contributing to market pressures.