Futures dip as focus shifts to inflation data

[November 13, 2023]  By Sruthi Shankar and Amruta Khandekar

(Reuters) -U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Monday as investors awaited a crucial inflation reading and other economic data this week that could shape expectations around how long the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates elevated.

The benchmark S&P 500 and the blue-chip Dow closed at near eight-week highs on Friday, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite hit a two-month peak as megacap stocks rallied on the back of easing Treasury yields.

Investors will focus on a slew of economic data this week as well as speeches from Fed officials for clues on the trajectory of interest rates amid growing expectations that the Fed is done hiking borrowing costs.

Inflation data on Tuesday is expected to show headline consumer prices eased to 3.3% in October from 3.7% in September. However, core rates are seen unchanged from the previous month.

"We think that U.S. CPI inflation figures tomorrow are unlikely to challenge the market conviction that there is no more need for further tightening by the Fed," Unicredit analysts said in a note.

The major U.S. stock indexes have rebounded strongly this month, fueled by a stronger-than-expected earnings season and on hopes that U.S. interest rates are near their peak, though investors have pushed back bets of rate cuts to June from May.

Adding to Monday's jitters, Moody's lowered its outlook on the U.S. credit rating to "negative" from "stable", citing large fiscal deficits and a decline in debt affordability.

The move, which follows a rating downgrade of the sovereign by Fitch this year, had little impact on the Treasury market.

The benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was largely steady at 4.632%, below a 16-year peak hit last month partly due to concerns over government spending.

A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a Republican stopgap spending measure on Saturday aimed at averting a government shutdown on Friday, but the measure quickly ran into opposition from lawmakers from both parties in Congress.

At 7:08 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were down 28 points, or 0.08%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 7.75 points, or 0.17%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 31.25 points, or 0.2%.

Boeing climbed 3.7% premarket after Bloomberg News reported that China is considering resuming purchases of 737 Max aircraft when the U.S. and Chinese presidents meet this week at the APEC summit.

Meanwhile, Dubai's Emirates placed an order for 90 more Boeing 777X jets at the opening of the Dubai Airshow.

Micron Technology slipped 0.8% after Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. rival alleging infringement of eight of its patents.

Eli Lilly rose 1% after rival Novo Nordisk said heart protective benefits of its Wegovy obesity treatment are due to more than weight-loss alone.

(Reporting by Sruthi Shankar and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

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