Stock futures are little changed on Thursday night: Live updates
Stock futures were little changed in overnight trading on Thursday as investors digested a new report on inflation and looked ahead to consumer sentiment data set to be released on Friday.
As of 9:20 p.m., Dow futures were up just 5 points. S&P 500 futures were flat while Nasdaq 100 futures were down 0.1%.
The moves in futures followed a mixed session in the regular trading day on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising to a new record high while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed slightly lower. The Dow rose 123 points or 0.4%, while the S&P 500 dipped 0.1% and the Nasdaq lost 0.4%.
Investors were weighing fresh data on inflation after the Labor Department reported that the core consumer price index rose 0.8% in April, the fastest monthly increase since 1981. The broad CPI rose 0.9% last month, the biggest jump since June 2009.
Investors have been concerned that a rise in inflation could prompt the Federal Reserve to tighten monetary policy earlier than expected, slowing the economic recovery. However, many analysts have said they expect the current inflationary pressures to be temporary as the economy reopens from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The market was also grappling with the Colonial Pipeline cyber attack, which has disrupted fuel supplies along the East Coast. The Biden administration on Thursday announced measures to mitigate the impact and ensure the pipeline can resume operations quickly.
On the earnings front, Airbnb shares ticked down in extended trading despite the company reporting revenue that beat expectations. Disney shares, on the other hand, edged higher after the company said it added 8 million Disney+ subscribers in its latest quarter, bringing total subscriptions to over 116 million.
Looking ahead, investors will be watching consumer sentiment data from the University of Michigan, which is set to be released on Friday. Economists polled by Dow Jones are expecting a reading of 90 for May, compared to 88.3 in April.
The Federal Reserve has said that it is looking for a reading on inflation that is above its 2% target for a period of time before it considers raising interest rates. Many analysts believe the central bank will begin to signal a shift in policy as early as this summer.