FX.co ★ US Futures Hold Ground Ahead of CPI

US stock futures were mostly higher on Wednesday, as optimism over solid corporate earnings helped counter ongoing volatility in chipmaker shares ahead of key US inflation data and major results. Futures for the S&P 500 and Dow traded slightly higher, while Nasdaq 100 contracts hovered just below the flatline. Morgan Stanley rose about 1% in premarket trading after its equity trading revenue beat expectations, and BlackRock inched higher as stronger inflows into its asset management business lifted fee income. In contrast, AI infrastructure names extended their declines after ASML said it could not keep pace with demand from semiconductor fabs, while Chinese rivals signaled product improvements. Micron and Marvell each fell more than 2%. Measures of underlying inflation ahead of the US CPI release are expected to have remained elevated in September, reinforcing comments from several FOMC officials that additional rate hikes may still be needed this year.