US market today: Equity index futures on Wall Street indicate a gap-up opening for US stocks on Wednesday, July 15, as the key focus of investors will remain on key earnings like Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, among others.
Investors will also keep a close watch on the crude oil prices above $85 per barrel, upcoming economic data release by the US Bureau of Labour Statistics. BLS is set to release the PPI data for the US economy, while the US Federal Reserve will release its Beige Book on Wednesday.
Ahead of the opening bell on July 15, the Dow Jones futures were trading 0.14% higher at 52,870 points, indicating more than a 300-point rise compared to the previous market close, according to Investing.com data.
The S&P 500 index futures were trading 0.22% higher at 7,608 points ahead of the opening bell, indicating a moderately higher opening on Wednesday.
While the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures were trading 0.51% higher at 29,941 points on July 15, potentially marking a 350-point increase at the Wall Street open on Wednesday’s market.
Key things to watch before US market opens
US market recap
After Tuesday’s market session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed near flat levels, 0.02% higher at 52,508.27 points, compared to 52,498.64 points at the previous Wall Street close, according to MarketWatch data.
The exchange data also showed that the S&P 500 index ended 0.38% higher at 7,543.59 points after Tuesday’s market session, compared to 7,515.34 points at the previous stock market close.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index closed 1.10% higher at 29,586.29 points after the trading session on July 14, compared to 29,264.10 points at the previous Wall Street close, according to MarketWatch data.
US inflation slows down
US Bureau of Labour Statistics data released on Tuesday evening showed that the US consumer price index (CPI) inflation witnessed a slowdown more than market expectations, rising 3.5% in the 12-month period ended June 2026.
“Indexes that decreased over the month include motor vehicle insurance, communication, apparel, medical care, and used cars and trucks. Conversely, the indexes for recreation, household furnishings and operations, and personal care were among the major indexes that increased in June,” the BLS report disclosed.
US CPI inflation for the 12-month period ended May 2026 was at 4.2%. As the US Federal Reserve has an inflation target mechanism of 2%, the central bank aims to ensure job growth while curbing inflation in the economy.
Key earnings today
Stocks like Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, Bank of New York, United Airlines, and First Horizon were among the key companies which will be in focus of the stock market investors on Wednesday, July 15, against the backdrop of quarterly earnings.
Other companies like ASML Holding, Johnson & Johnson, PNC Financial Services, Elevance Health, M&T Bank Corp., and Community Trust Bancorp are also set to announce their Q2 results for the calendar year 2026.
Tech stocks like IBM will also be in focus of investors after the shares crashed 25% on Tuesday’s market.
PPI data release in focus
The US Labour Bureau is set to announce the Producer Price Index (PPI) data for June 2026 on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, as per the official economic calendar. Other key economic data, like personal consumption, is also set to be released on July 15.
PPI data tracks wholesale inflation across industries by measuring average changes in selling prices received by domestic producers for their output.
The US Federal Reserve is also set to release its “Beige Book” at 2 pm (ET) on Wednesday, which is set to shed light on the key commentary on the current economic environment by the Fed districts.
Investors will continue to monitor the key economic data releases to gauge the financial condition of the economy amid the escalation in West Asia, inflation concerns, and job growth.