ADB Approves $400 Million Loan to Boost Ease of Doing Business in the Philippines 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
U.S. Dollar Slides for Third Straight Week as Rate Cut Expectations Boost Euro and Pound 
Fed Near Neutral Signals Caution Ahead, Shifting Focus to Fixed Income in 2026 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Hong Kong Cuts Base Rate as HKMA Follows U.S. Federal Reserve Move 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Indian Rupee Slides to Record Low on Fed Outlook 
Brazil Holds Selic Rate at 15% as Inflation Expectations Stay Elevated 
Modi and Trump Hold Phone Call as India Seeks Relief From U.S. Tariffs Over Russian Oil Trade 
Japan Weighs New Tax Breaks to Boost Corporate Investment Amid Spending Debate 
Wall Street Futures Dip as Broadcom Slides, Tech Weighed Down Despite Dovish Fed Signals 
Wall Street Futures Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Reignites AI Spending Concerns 
BOJ Expected to Deliver December Rate Hike as Economists See Borrowing Costs Rising Through 2025 
Asian Stocks Slip Ahead of Fed Decision as China Deflation Concerns Deepen 
Gold Prices Hold Firm as Markets Await Fed Rate Cut; Silver Surges to Record High 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
Asian Stocks Rally as Tech Rebounds, China Lags on Nvidia Competition Concerns 
U.S. stock futures were largely unchanged Wednesday evening as Wall Street looked ahead to Thursday’s consumer price index (CPI) report, which could solidify expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next week.
S&P 500 Futures edged up 0.1% to 6,545.75, Nasdaq 100 Futures gained 0.1% to 23,894.0, while Dow Jones Futures traded flat at 45,552.0. The steady performance came after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs, lifted by a massive surge in Oracle shares and cooling inflation data.
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) jumped 36% on strong demand for its cloud infrastructure and AI services, sparking a rally across AI-related tech names, including Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), AMD (NASDAQ:AMD), and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO). Meanwhile, the Dow slipped 0.5%, weighed down by weaker components.
Markets were buoyed by softer-than-expected producer price index (PPI) data. August PPI declined 0.1% month-over-month and rose 2.6% year-over-year, well below forecasts. The report fueled hopes that the Fed could begin its rate-cut cycle with a quarter-point reduction at its September 17 meeting.
Investors are now focused on Thursday’s CPI release. Economists expect headline inflation to rise 0.3% month-on-month and 2.9% year-on-year, while core CPI is forecast at 0.2% monthly and 3.2% annually. The data will be key in shaping the Fed’s next move.
Elsewhere, Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS) plunged 36% after missing earnings expectations, driven by weakness in its Design IP segment and disruptions tied to China export restrictions. The drop nearly erased the stock’s 2025 gains.
Looking ahead, market attention will turn to earnings from Kroger (NYSE:KR) and Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE), both scheduled to report Thursday.
