Stock Futures Slide as Wall Street Unpacks Inflation Data

Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and Nasdsaq-100 Index (NDX) are both down triple digits this morning on the final trading day of August. S&P 500 Index (SPX) futures sit modestly lower as investors digest the latest inflation data -- a key factor for the Federal Reserve in the upcoming economic policy decision.

The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 0.2% in July and 2.6% for the year, while the core PCE price index rose 0.3% for the month and 2.9% on an annual basis, both roughly in line with estimates. Meanwhile, the U.S. trade deficit rose 22.1% to $103.6 billion in July, well above expectations. 

Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

• Outperforming Robinhood stock poised for another rally. 
• 3 ways to fine-tune your options trading approach. 
• Plus, CAT falls on tariff warning; and two stocks moving after earnings. 

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5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw over 2.2 million call contracts and over 1.6 million put contracts traded on Thursday. The single-session equity put/call ratio came in at 0.75, while the 21-day moving average stayed at 0.59.
2. Blue-chip machinery name Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:CAT) is down 2.3% premarket, after the company warned of a potential tariff impact up to $1.8 billion this year. Plus, Oppenheimer cut its price target to $480 from $493. Year-to-date, CAT is up 19.9% heading into today. 
3. Autodesk Inc (NASDAQ:ADSK) stock is up 12.4% in electronic trading, after the software name posted better-than-expected second-quarter results and lifted its full-year and current-quarter forecasts. No fewer than 11 brokerages hiked their price targets, the highest coming from UBS to $385 from $370. Should these gains hold, the equity will gap into positive territory for 2025. 
4. Shares of Dell Technologies Inc (NYSE:DELL) are down 6.5% before the bell, brushing off blowout second-quarter earnings results. Despite disappointing current-quarter forecast and weak margins, seven analysts issued price-target hikes, the best coming from BofA Global Ressearch to $167. Since the start of the year, DELL is up 16.3% going into today's trading session.  
5. There's plenty of economic data scheduled over Labor Day week. 

Inflation Data Overseas

Asia’s major indexes closed their sessions on a mixed note. Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.3% as Tokyo’s core consumer prices rose at a sluggish pace, even as regional unemployment let up. South Korea’s Kospi also lost 0.3%, anchored by continued fallout from the ousting of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee over a previous stock manipulation scheme and other corruption scandals. China was the region’s bright spot, with the Shanghai Composite climbing 0.4%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.3%.

In Europe, markets are poised to end the week on a sour note. Germany’s DAX was last seen down 0.2% after the country’s inflation rate rose more than anticipated. France’s CAC 40 is struggling to recover from a 0.3% dip tied to rising prices in its food and services sectors, and London’s FTSE 100 is falling 0.2% on concerns over a potential tax raid on U.K. banks.