Investing.com — U.S. stock index futures on Sunday night as investors awaited this week's key inflation data for further clues on interest rates, while heightened geopolitical tensions in Syria also focused on The market hardly moved.
Futures were firm after Wall Street indexes hit record highs on Friday, but a better-than-expected nonfarm jobs report did little to deter bets on a December interest rate cut. Tech stocks continued to rise.
It held steady at 6,098.25 points, but was flat at 21,651.75 points by 18:21 ET (23:21 GMT). It remained flat at 44,700 points.
After rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad and seized control of Damascus, ending a 13-year civil war, investors are weighing how Syria's major regime change will affect Middle East geopolitics. I was paying attention to what it would bring.
According to media reports, al-Assad landed in Moscow and Israeli forces entered Syria.
CPI data awaits further interest rate indicators
This week's focus is squarely on Wednesday's release of inflation data for further clues about the U.S. economy and interest rates.
According to Reuters estimates, the overall figure through November is expected to increase by 2.7% from a year ago.
Core CPI inflation is also expected to remain flat in November, reducing the Federal Reserve's incentive to cut interest rates aggressively.
The central bank is widely expected to cut rates by 25 basis points next week, but is also expected to slow the pace in 2025 on the back of weaker inflation and a stronger labor market.
Friday's data showed stronger-than-expected growth in November. However, growth slowed and it contracted.
Wall Street hits record high as technology advances
Wall Street indexes on Friday largely ignored the strong jobs report, with gains in tech stocks offsetting declines in other economically sensitive sectors as optimism about artificial intelligence persisted.
Markets were also looking for further clues about what President-elect Donald Trump's policies will mean for the United States in the coming years.
The index rose 0.3% to 6,090.27 points on Friday, and rose 0.8% to 19,859.77 points on Friday, setting new record highs for both indexes. It got off to a slow start, dropping 0.3% to 44,642.52 points.
