Stock Futures Modestly Higher as Investors React to Fed Update

Yesterday's meeting minutes made a September rate-cut look all the more likely

Jake Scott

Deputy Editor

Aug 22, 2024 at 9:10 AM

Futures tied to the S&P 500 Index (SPX), Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are modestly higher Thursday, as investors await Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's expected commentary at Friday's Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. While the central bank's meeting minutes yesterday bolstered expectations of a rate cut in September, Powell's comments count provide further insight into the U.S. economic outlook.

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

Target stock pops in the options pits.
'Stay away' from this stock split signal.
Plus, Peloton earnings report; Crocs' new spokesperson; and Wolfspeed stock brushes off wide quarterly loss.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw 1.1 million call contracts and 669,717 put contracts exchanged on Wednesday. The single-session equity put/call and the 21-day moving average remained at 0.59 and 0.66, respecitvely.
Shares of Peloton Interactive Inc (NASDAQ:PTON) are up 9.5% before the bell, after the home fitness equipment maker's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and revenue beat expectations. The company is in the midst of a sizeable turnaround plan, and is "well underway" in its process of hiring a new CEO. The company also posted its first sales increase in nine quarters. Coming into today, PTON was down 51.9% over the last 12 months.
Crocs Inc (NASDAQ:CROX) boasts a 2.1% pre-market gain, after the footwear maker was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Williams Trading. Per the bull note, the firm's Heydude brand could see a reverse in negative sales trends after the signing of Sydney Sweeney as a spokesperson. Year to date, WOLF is up 50.5%.
Semiconductor concern Wolfspeed Inc (NYSE:WOLF) posted a worse-than-expected fiscal third-quarter adjusted loss; however, the equity is bouncing 8.8% before the open after it forecast its Mohawk Valley Facility to produce revenue in the range of $50 million to $60 million -- a contribution that beat expectations. WOLF is down nearly 70% on both a year-to-date and year-over-year basis.
Stay up-to-date with the latest earnings and economic schedule.

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Overseas Investors Eye Stateside Fed Updates

Asian markets were mostly higher on Thursday, as investors unpacked the Fed’s meeting minutes and the Bank of Korea’s (BoK) decision to hold its benchmark interest rate steady at 3.5%. Economic data out of Japan (BoJ) was also in focus, with business activity and the service sector both expanding, while the manufacturing sector resumed growth. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng paced the gainers with a 1.4% pop, and Japan’s Nikkei added 0.7%. Elsewhere, South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.2%, and China’s Shanghai Composite shed 0.3%.

European markets are higher, mirroring Wall Street’s gains amid anticipation for a stateside interest rate cut. Investors are also parsing through business activity data out of the U.K. and the euro zone, both of which pointed to growth and could lead the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut rates in September. The German DAX was last seen 0.3% higher, France’s CAC 40 sports a 0.2% lead, and London’s FTSE is up 0.07%.

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