US stock futures were mixed on Tuesday as investors awaited a crucial inflation report that could determine whether Wall Street’s powerful rebound has further to run.
Dow Jones futures rose 172 points or 0.33% and S&P 500 contracts gained 0.17%, while Nasdaq 100 futures declined 0.26%.
The cautious start followed Monday’s rally, when the S&P 500 gained 2.35% and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.74%.
Falling oil prices offered some relief, but hawkish Federal Reserve commentary, uncertainty surrounding Nvidia and fresh developments in the artificial intelligence sector kept investors cautious ahead of the opening bell.
5 things to know before Wall Street opens
1. Inflation data could challenge Wall Street’s rebound
October’s Consumer Price Index is due at 8:30 am Eastern, with economists expecting monthly headline inflation of 0.3% and core inflation of 0.2%.
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said in a speech on Tuesday that he supports a quarter-point rate increase in December, even if inflation moderates. He also raised the possibility of a half-point move if core inflation reaches 0.3% or higher.
2.Oil’s slide below $90 offers relief to stocks
Brent crude briefly dropped below $90 for the first time since August, before trading at $90.18 a barrel by 09:30 GMT, down 2.58%. West Texas Intermediate declined 2.43% to $84.74.
The retreat followed President Donald Trump’s suggestion that further military strikes against Iran were unlikely while negotiations progressed. Brent has lost approximately 23% since its late-October peak.
3. Nvidia attempts a comeback after Huang investigation
Nvidia shares gained approximately 1.3% in pre-market trading after losing 4.27% on Monday, when the chipmaker closed at $178.67.
The decline followed an independent board investigation into reports that chief executive Jensen Huang had been targeted by a foreign intelligence operation.
In its official statement, Nvidia said it had no reason to believe company secrets or national security were compromised and reaffirmed confidence in Huang.
4.Anthropic’s blockbuster IPO faces an unexpected setback
The Claude developer withdrew pricing information circulated to investment banks ahead of its anticipated stock market listing.
The documents initially outlined a proposed sale of approximately 867 million shares at $70–$80 each, potentially valuing the offering at $69.3 billion.
Anthropic subsequently told bankers the pricing details were inaccurate, according to reporting by The Information. A revised price range has not been confirmed.
5. CoreWeave earnings and SoftBank’s $7 billion loss test AI confidence
CoreWeave shares rose approximately 2.4% before the bell ahead of its third-quarter earnings, scheduled after Tuesday’s close.
Investors will focus on data-centre spending, debt and cash generation.
Meanwhile, SoftBank reported a ¥1.1 trillion ($7 billion) quarterly net loss, compared with a ¥2.5 trillion profit a year earlier. Its results were hurt by losses linked to US AI data-centre investments and higher financing costs.
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