US Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Futures Rise As Tech Leads Inflation Watch
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The Morning Bull – US Market Morning Update Friday, Jun, 26 2026
US stock futures are pointing higher this morning, with E-mini S&P 500 contracts up about 0.7% and Nasdaq-100 futures ahead more than 2%, as investors focus on three big signals. First, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, PCE for May, is expected to run hotter, which simply means the cost of living may not be easing as quickly as households would like and could keep interest rates higher for longer. Second, US oil inventories have dropped to multi decade lows, a setup that can feed into fuel and transport costs. Third, new home sales fell 7.3% in May, a sign that higher borrowing costs are still biting the housing market. The key question for investors is whether stronger inflation pressure and tighter housing conditions will cool demand enough to hurt economically sensitive sectors like homebuilders and consumer stocks, even as growth style areas such as technology and other interest rate sensitive sectors sit in the spotlight.
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Top Movers
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Sandisk (SNDK) surged 21.97% after Citi raised its price target, citing tight NAND conditions.
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Micron Technology (MU) jumped 15.74% on a strong earnings beat, higher guidance and multiple analyst target hikes.
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Applied Materials (AMAT) climbed 13.42% after new AI focused chipmaking tools launch and analyst price target increases.
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Top Losers
Sharp moves like these can reshape risk in a portfolio quickly, so it helps to have a systematic way to scan for companies with stronger fundamentals and sturdier balance sheets than yesterday’s biggest decliners. One place to start is the solid balance sheet and fundamentals stocks screener (48 results).
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On The Radar
Global central bank speeches and fresh manufacturing data will set the tone for US rate expectations and risk appetite.
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Fed policy tone: The Fed Barkin Speech on Sunday may clarify how officials interpret recent PCE inflation trends.
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Global central banks: Remarks from RBA Gov Bullock on Sunday, followed by RBA Kent on Monday, could hint at wider rate path thinking.
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US manufacturing pulse: The Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index on Monday offers a timely read on factory activity momentum.
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Euro inflation watch: Monday’s preliminary Spain CPI and MoM inflation will feed into euro area price pressure expectations.
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Japan growth mix: Data on Japan retail sales, unemployment, and industrial output on Sunday and Monday will influence views on global demand.
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Find Tomorrow’s Top Performers
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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