U.S. stock futures are trending higher this Friday, August 15, 2025, signaling a potentially positive start to trading as investors continue to digest hotter-than-expected inflation data from yesterday and look ahead to a busy day of economic reports. This comes after a mixed close on Thursday, where the S&P 500 (SPX) managed to eke out a new closing high despite broader market jitters.
Premarket Activity and Futures Movements
As of early Friday morning, U.S. stock futures are indicating an upward trajectory. S&P 500 futures are up approximately 0.1% to 0.3%, hovering near 6,502.25, extending the index's recent record-setting run. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are leading the charge, climbing between 0.7% and 0.8% and approaching the 45,300 mark, even touching new all-time highs in overnight trading. Meanwhile, Nasdaq 100 futures (NDX) are also showing gains, up around 0.18% to 0.2%, trading near 23,933.75. This premarket strength suggests that despite lingering inflation concerns, market participants are finding reasons for optimism heading into the trading session.
A significant mover in premarket trading is UnitedHealth (UNH), which soared approximately 13% after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) disclosed that it had acquired a new stake in the healthcare giant. This news has provided a notable boost to Dow futures, given UnitedHealth's substantial weight in the index. Another stock making headlines premarket is Apple (AAPL), which saw its shares climb 0.1% despite news that Berkshire Hathaway had trimmed its stake in the iPhone maker last quarter. On the technology front, Intel (INTC) stock jumped over 4% in Thursday's after-market hours following a Bloomberg report suggesting the Trump administration is considering a government stake in the chipmaker. Conversely, Applied Materials (AMAT) slumped in premarket trading after providing a weaker-than-expected outlook.
Current Performance of Major Market Indexes (Thursday's Close)
Yesterday, Thursday, August 14, 2025, saw a mixed close for the major U.S. stock indexes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell by 11.01 points, closing at 44,911.26. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) also ended in negative territory, decreasing by 2.47 points to finish at 21,710.67, primarily due to a weak performance in technology stocks. In contrast, the S&P 500 (SPX) managed a marginal gain, advancing just 2 points to close at 6,468.54, marking a new all-time closing high for the index for the third consecutive session. This divergence highlights the ongoing sector rotation and selective buying within the market.
Upcoming Market Events
Today's trading session will be heavily influenced by several important economic data announcements. Investors are keenly awaiting reports on import prices, Michigan consumer sentiment, and July Retail Sales. The Retail Sales data, in particular, will be closely watched, with economists anticipating a moderate rise of 0.5% for July. These figures will provide further clues about the health of the U.S. economy and could impact expectations regarding the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.
Beyond economic data, a significant political event is also on the radar: the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska. While the direct market impact of such geopolitical events can be hard to predict, investors will be monitoring for any developments that could influence global stability or trade relations.
Major Stock News and Developments
Inflation Concerns: A key development impacting market sentiment yesterday was the release of the Producer Price Index (PPI) for July. The Department of Labor reported that the PPI rose by a hotter-than-expected 0.9% month-over-month, significantly above the consensus estimate of 0.2%. This marked the highest monthly increase in PPI since June 2022. On a year-over-year basis, the headline PPI climbed 3.3% in July, its highest annual increase since February. This hotter inflation data has led some traders to reassess the likelihood and timing of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, though the probability of a September cut remains high at 92.6%, albeit marginally down from earlier in the week.
Earnings Season in Focus: The second-quarter earnings season continues to unfold, with several companies reporting results. Prior to today's market open, Flowers Foods, Inc. (FLO) and BitFuFu Inc. (FUFU) are among the companies scheduled to release their quarterly earnings. Flowers Foods is expected to report consensus earnings per share (EPS) of $0.29, while BitFuFu Inc. has a consensus EPS forecast of $0.07.
Yesterday, several companies announced their second-quarter 2025 results, leading to notable stock movements. Brinker International Inc. (EAT) saw its shares rise 1.6% after reporting fiscal Q4 2025 revenues that surpassed analyst estimates. Similarly, Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (ARCO) jumped 9.8% after its Q2 2025 revenues beat expectations. However, not all earnings news was positive. CAVA Group Inc. (CAVA) shares plunged 16.6% after the company's Q2 2025 revenues missed consensus estimates. CoreWeave Inc. (CRWV) also experienced a significant drop, plummeting 20.8% as its Q2 2025 adjusted loss was wider than anticipated.
Looking ahead, Li Auto Inc. (LI) announced today that it will report its unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2025 before the U.S. market opens on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
Corporate Developments: In other corporate news, The Metals Company (TMC) provided a corporate update for Q2 2025, highlighting its progress with NOAA compliance on exploration applications and the release of economic studies with a combined Net Present Value (NPV) of $23.6 billion. Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (RCAT), a drone technology company, reported its Q2 2025 financial results and provided a corporate update, including the execution of a contract with the U.S. Army for its SRR Black Widow systems.
The market remains dynamic, with investors closely monitoring economic indicators, corporate earnings, and geopolitical developments to gauge future direction. The mixed signals from inflation data and strong corporate earnings suggest a nuanced environment where selective opportunities and challenges coexist.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.