US Stock Futures Steady as US-China Talks and Inflation Data Loom

U.S. stock index futures remained flat on Monday evening as markets awaited updates from U.S.-China trade negotiations in London and key inflation data due later this week. Caution dominated sentiment following a rangebound Wall Street session, despite gains in chip stocks like Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and AMD (NASDAQ:AMD), driven by optimism over easing export restrictions to China.

Geopolitical tensions also weighed on investor confidence. Violent protests in Los Angeles over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies extended into a third day, prompting the deployment of 700 U.S. marines, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

S&P 500 Futures held at 6,012.25 points, Nasdaq 100 Futures at 21,826.50, and Dow Jones Futures at 42,803.0, showing little movement as of 19:11 ET.

Trade talks between the U.S. and China are set to continue into Tuesday, following a positive statement from Trump citing “good reports” from the negotiation team. This follows a rare direct call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Investors are closely monitoring developments, particularly regarding rare earth mineral export controls by China and U.S. chip export restrictions.

Wall Street posted modest gains Monday ahead of Wednesday’s CPI report, expected to show rising inflation due to increased import prices from ongoing tariffs. The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% to 6,005.88, maintaining a three-month high, while the Nasdaq gained 0.3% to 19,591.24. The Dow Jones was little changed at 42,761.76.

AMD shares jumped nearly 5% after multiple price target upgrades, while Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) slipped following lukewarm reactions to its Worldwide Developers Conference, which lacked clear AI announcements. Despite cautious trading, markets retained strength from last week’s upbeat nonfarm payrolls report, supporting optimism around U.S. economic resilience.