Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Futures Edge Higher Ahead Of PPI, Jobless Claims: NVDA, AAPL, META, ORCL, TSM, TSLA, SLS In Focus

• Inflation remains the market’s biggest test: PPI and weekly jobless claims are due today, followed by CPI on Friday. 
• Brent crude remains above $100, and the 10-year Treasury yield is around 4.85%, keeping the Fed rates debate firmly in focus. 
• Oracle and Adobe are on the retail radar ahead of their earnings reports after Thursday’s closing bell, with investors looking for updates on AI-related demand and enterprise spending. 

U.S. stock futures were higher early Thursday after a pullback in the previous session, driven by Middle East tensions that pushed Brent crude past $101 per barrel and the 10-year Treasury yield to multi-year highs near 4.85%.

As of 4:30 a.m. ET, Dow futures rose 0.4%, S&P 500 and Russell 2000 futures were up 0.2%, and Nasdaq futures were flat with a positive bias. 

However, on Stocktwits, retail investors are treading cautiously ahead of a crucial inflation data drop. Retail sentiment for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), an exchange-traded fund that tracks the S&P 500 Index, has moved to ‘neutral’ from ‘bullish’ a day ago, while Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ), which tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index, has flipped to ‘bearish’ from ‘bullish.’

Inflation Data Takes Center Stage

All eyes will be on the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report, along with weekly initial jobless claims. Inflation concerns weigh on investor sentiment amid rising crude prices and soaring yields. This will be followed by the CPI data release on Friday, fueling expectations ahead of the Federal Reserve’s September meeting next week. Traders have been pricing in a 60% probability of another rate hike, according to CME Fedwatch.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump proposed a $5,000 payment to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in November. The proposal would cost more than $1 trillion, and its funding mechanism and legal path remain unclear. 

The proposal has already drawn criticism from Peter Schiff on X, who said it could add to inflationary pressures if financed through monetary expansion. "Today Trump tried to buy the midterms by offering all voters a $5,000 bribe in exchange for their votes, provided they spend the cash in the U.S. Since the Fed will have to print the money, the result would be massive inflation, well in excess of anything experienced under Biden."

Trump also said the Iran war will end “immediately after” the election, adding that Iran “can’t hold out any longer.” He said the U.S. is “not looking for a deal,” though he left the door open to negotiations.

Tech Stocks To Watch 

Nvidia (NVDA): SEC filings reveal board member Mark Stevens sold over $640 million in stock. In other news, the DOJ is reportedly investigating its $17 billion Groq licensing deal over potential antitrust concerns. On Wednesday, Michael Burry reported trimming his bearish bets on the chipmaker, and Nvidia announced a partnership with Australian operators (including IREN and Sharon AI) to build up to 2GW of AI infrastructure by 2027.

Apple (AAPL) shares rose nearly 1% in early premarket trade after launching the $1,999 iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and AirPods 5. Analysts at Jefferies and Morningstar noted the pricing protects volume and predicted shares could outperform next week.

Meta (META) shares rose nearly 1% in early premarket trading after acquiring Swedish startup Stilla.ai, which focuses on AI agents capable of handling business conversations and transactions across WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest loaded up on Meta shares, while unwinding its stake in Alphabet (GOOGL).

Oracle (ORCL) and Adobe (ADBE) are on the retail radar ahead of their high-stakes earnings release after the market close today.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM): The world’s largest contract chipmaker reported a 53.3% year-over-year jump in monthly sales in August. This comes as TSMC continues to grapple with capacity constraints amid soaring semiconductor demand.

Trending Stocks

Tesla (TSLA), Rivian (RIVN): Under scrutiny following comments from Senator Elissa Slotkin warning that a potential deal between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could allow Chinese EV makers into the U.S. market, which could create competitive headwinds for domestic EV producers.

Space Stocks (RKLB, ASTS, SPCX, PL): The U.S. Department of Transportation launched the new Space Task Force aimed at expanding commercial space operations to 10,000 annual launches by 2035.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) shares rose nearly 1% in early premarket trade after China approved Wegovy (semaglutide) as the first and only GLP-1 receptor agonist approved in the country for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). 

Opendoor Technologies (OPEN): CEO Kaz Nejatian has said that housing market weakness pushed adjusted EBITDA profitability goals back six to eight weeks, though he remains committed to positive annual net income by late 2026.

GameStop (GME): Retail traders parsed consecutive insider share purchases by directors James Grube and Lawrence Cheng, driving speculation of potential further buying by CEO Ryan Cohen.

AeroVironment (AVAV): Shares rose 6% in early premarket trade following a Q1 earnings beat and raised guidance.

Sellas, ImmunityBio (SLS, IBRX): In focus after Canadian insurance giant Manulife’s unit raised its stakes in both biotech companies ahead of upcoming clinical cancer catalysts.

Other tickers trending on Stocktwits at the time of writing included Trump Media (DJT), Moonlake Immunotherapeutics (MLTX), ASML Holding (ASML), Credo Technology (CRDO) and Snap (SNAP).

What Else To Watch Thursday

On the economic front, investors will watch the release of PPI inflation data and weekly jobless claims at 8:30 am ET, followed by existing home sales at 10 am ET.

On the earnings front, Macy’s (M), Lovesac (LOVE), Designer Brands (DBI), Vince Holding (VNCE), and MasterCraft (MCFT) are among those reporting before the bell. And key earnings after market close include Oracle (ORCL), Adobe (ADBE), RH (RH), Copart (CPRT), and Zumiez (ZUMZ).

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