US Stock Futures Edge Higher Amid Ukraine Peace Talks and Inflation Data

Market Overview

US stock futures gained ground on Thursday as investors weighed the prospects for US-Russia peace talks in Ukraine and awaited fresh inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) and S&P 500 futures (ES=F) hovered above the flat line after closing lower on Wednesday. Contracts on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) ticked up 0.2%.

Ukraine Peace Talks and Inflation

Hopes for an end to the Ukraine war rose after President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed to initiate peace talks. The dollar (DX-Y.NYB, DX=F) weakened following the news.

Meanwhile, investors braced for the Producer Price Index (PPI), which tracks wholesale costs. The January PPI report is expected to show a slight cooling when released at 8:30 a.m. ET, following a hot consumer inflation print in January.

Other Market Movers

- President Trump may announce global reciprocal tariffs at a meeting with India's leader, potentially intensifying price pressures.
- Weekly jobless claims data will provide insights into the labor market, a key factor in the Federal Reserve's policy decisions.
- Earnings season continues, with solid results so far from S&P 500 companies. Robinhood (HOOD) shares surged after a fourth-quarter profit beat, while Reddit (RDDT) stock fell on missed user growth.

Expected Earnings

Key companies expected to report results after the bell on Thursday include Airbnb (ABNB), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Coinbase (COIN).

Other Headlines

- Inflation uncertainty continues to loom over markets.
- Meta gains Wall Street favor while other Big Tech companies struggle.
- Asian shares rise, driven by peace talks optimism and AI hype.
- Oil prices decline amid Ukraine peace talks and Exxon Mobil's stock drop.
- Gold rises toward record levels with dollar and trade in focus.