US STOCKS-Wall St set to open higher after inflation data fuels rate cut hopes

From Nasdaq:

Wall Street indexes set to open higher after key inflation metric aligns with estimates, raising hopes for Fed interest rate cuts in the first half of the year. PCE price index rose 0.3% in January, matching expectations, with yearly increase of 2.4%. Traders bet on rate cuts in June based on PCE data.

Initial jobless claims for the week ended Feb. 24 at 215,000, slightly higher than expected 210,000. Data fuels optimism about economy’s strength and potential rate cuts. Market initially predicted rate cuts in March but shifted to June after recent reports on inflation and Fed’s stance.

Equities struggled before PCE data release, but still on track for fourth consecutive monthly gains. Nasdaq outperforms thanks to strong earnings and AI optimism. U.S. Congress leaders struck a deal on federal funding bills, possibly averting government shutdown this weekend. Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq e-minis rise.

Snowflake down 22.8% after forecasting first-quarter revenue below estimates. Paramount Global climbs 2.1% on surprising streaming profit. AMC Entertainment drops 8.4% with higher losses. WW International plunges 26.1% as Oprah Winfrey exits the board later this year. Coinbase and MicroStrategy rise alongside bitcoin’s increase. C3.ai jumps 17.1% after strong quarterly results.



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