US pre-open: Futures mixed ahead of key inflation data, oil climbs above $102

10th Sep 2026 11:20

(Sharecast News) - Wall Street futures were mixed ahead of the open on Thursday as market participants patiently awaited the first of two key inflation reports set for release before the end of the week.

As of 1230 BST, Dow Jones and S&P 500 futures had the indices opening 0.18% and 0.05% firmer, respectively, while Nasdaq-100 futures were down 0.25%.

The Dow closed 405.41 points lower on Wednesday, extending losses recorded in the previous session, as major indices turned in their third-straight losing session on the back of the Treasury Department's announcement that it will purchase up to $6bn in longer-term debt - triple the usual amount.

Energy prices were in focus prior to the opening bell, with West Texas Intermediate futures up 1.52% at $97.51 a barrel and Brent crude futures 1.02% higher at $102.24 a barrel, placing investors sights firmly on the first of this week's two inflation readings.

August's producer price index, a measure of wholesale inflation, will come out at 1330 BST, with economists expecting to see a monthly gain of 0.3%, alongside a 5.3% year-on-year increase. The closely watched consumer price index will follow on Friday, with consensus estimates calling for a 0.4% jump in August and a 12-month increase of 3.4%.

Elsewhere on the macro front, weekly jobless claims data from the Labor Department was also slated for release at 1330 BST, while August existing home sales and July wholesale inventories data will follow at 1500 BST.

In the corporate space, Macy's posted further signs of progress in its turnaround on Thursday as the department store retailer delivered second‑quarter sales growth across all banners and lifted full‑year guidance. Comparable sales rose 2.7% in the quarter, with the core Macy's chain up 1.1%, while higher‑end banner Bloomingdale's delivered an 11.3% jump in comparable sales. Macy's raised its full‑year outlook and said it now expects net sales of $21.68bn to $21.83bn, up from prior guidance of $21.5bn to $21.75bn, while full‑year earnings per share guidance was also increased to $2.15 to $2.35, from $2.00 to $2.20 previously.

Still to come, Adobe and Oracle were both scheduled to report their latest quarterly figures after the close.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com