Stock futures rise as investors brace for July inflation report

European markets were mixed on Wednesday morning as global investors awaited the key US inflation figure.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was roughly flat late in the morning. Travel and leisure stocks climbed 1.3% while healthcare stocks fell 0.8%.

On the data front in Europe, consumer price inflation in Germany last July stood at 7.5% year-on-year and 0.9% month-on-month, according to official figures released on Wednesday, at roughly in line with expectations.

Earnings remain a key driver of individual stock prices in Europe. Ahold Delhaize, ABN AMRO, E.On, TUI Group, Metro, Deliveroo, Prudential and Aviva were among the top companies reporting before Wednesday’s bell.

-Elliot Smith

China’s consumer price index in July hit a two-year high as pork prices rebounded, official data showed Wednesday.

Hog prices rose 20.2% in July from a year ago, marking the first increase since September 2020, according to data from Wind Information.

Additionally, hog prices posted their largest month-over-month increase on record – up 25.6%. Agricultural commodity analyst at Nanhua Futures, Bian Shuyang, said in a statement that farmers’ reluctance to sell – in the hope of securing higher prices in the future – has contributed to the surge in the price of the pork.

Bian added that live hog producers are now operating at a profit, indicating there is more supply to come. Two upcoming Chinese festivals in September and October will help sustain consumer demand for pork, he said.

Nonetheless, Wednesday’s inflation data continued to reflect lackluster demand in the Chinese economy.

The consumer price index rose 2.7% in July, missing expectations of a 2.9% increase, according to analysts polled by Reuters. Moreover, despite the summer holidays, the tourism price component rose only 0.5% in July compared to a year ago.

— Lee Ying Shan and Evelyn Cheng

Market watchers are looking to July’s inflation report – due out later today – for clues as to what the Federal Reserve will do next at its September meeting.

Ahead of the report’s release, CNBC Pro scoured Wall Street research to identify what investment banks are watching for signs of consumer weakness and their advice on how investors should position themselves in this environment.

Learn about the consumer-related stocks analysts at Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Barclays like.

— Zavier Ong

In addition to Wednesday’s consumer price index report, markets will also equate Fedspeak from two regional bank presidents. They could provide additional insight into the central bank’s course of action and the scale of future rate hikes, especially at the September meeting.

Charles Evans, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, will speak Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. ET at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Later, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari will speak during a panel on stagflation at the Aspen Economic Strategy Group.

—Carmen Reinicke

July’s inflation report may show prices have cooled – or so economists and investors hope.

Economists estimate for the July report that the consumer price index rose just 0.2%, less than the 1.3% it jumped in June, according to Dow Jones. This would bring the year-on-year pace of consumer inflation in July to 8.7%, down from the 9.1% seen in June.

If the reading is lower than last month, it may indicate that we have passed the peak of inflation and are starting to move in the right direction. This will indicate how much the Federal Reserve will raise rates going forward.

—Carmen Reinicke

Shares of Coinbase and Roblox are among the largest after-hours moves on Tuesday after reporting earnings that fell short of Wall Street expectations.

Coinbase fell more than 5% after reporting revenue showing a bigger than expected loss in the quarter, and the company missed revenue estimates.

Roblox plunged more than 16% after missing out on profits and revenue. Additionally, the company also reported just 52.2 million average daily active users, down from 54.1 million in the prior quarter.

—Carmen Reinicke