The S&P 500 futures today were trading with little change this Thursday, after Wall Street closed the previous session higher, supported by signs of slowing inflation in the United States. The release of a Producer Price Index (PPI) below expectations increased investors' confidence that the Federal Reserve may keep interest rates steady in the coming months.
Before the market opening, S&P 500 futures were down 0,04%, at 7.611,75 points. Dow Jones futures fell 0,03%, to 52.883 points, while Nasdaq 100 contracts posted a decline of 0,28%, at 29.609,75 points. Meanwhile, Russell 2000 futures were down 0.06%, to 2,990 points.
The volatility index VIX was down 5.03%, to 15.67 points, indicating lower demand for protection among investors. In the commodities market, gold was traded at US$ 4,045.90 per ounce, down 0.15%, while WTI oil for August delivery rose 0.63%, to US$ 80.10 per barrel. In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin was quoted at US$ 64,638, with a slight increase of 0,02%.
In the previous session, the main American indexes closed the trading day higher. The Dow Jones closed at 52.659,18 pontos, with a gain of 0,3%. The S&P 500 advanced to 7.572,43 pontos, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0,6%, to 26.269,23 pontos, driven mainly by technology stocks.
In Asia, markets indicated a mixed opening. Futures contracts pointed to a decline for the Nikkei 225, in Japan, while the futures for the Hang Seng, in Hong Kong, were signaling a slight rise. In Australia, contracts for the S&P/ASX 200 were also showing small fluctuations before the start of trading.
The main factor behind investors' optimism continues to be the easing of inflationary pressures in the United States. The lower-than-expected PPI reinforced the perception that inflation remains on a decelerating path, reducing the pressure for further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.
At the same time, the decline in U.S. Treasury yields increased interest in growth stocks, especially those of large technology companies. Another point that contributed to the positive performance of the stock markets was the release of earnings above expectations by major financial institutions, indicating that corporate profits remain solid even in an environment of more moderate economic growth.
Throughout this Thursday, investors are following the release of retail sales and weekly jobless claims in the United States. The indicators may provide new signs about the pace of the economy and help shape expectations for the next decisions by the Federal Reserve. On the corporate calendar, UnitedHealth releases its results before the market opens, while Netflix reports its earnings after the close of trading. Meanwhile, the markets continue monitoring Bitcoin's behavior above US$ 64 mil, oil traded above US$ 80 por barril and volatility at reduced levels.