US futures trapped in inflation countdown as meme rally roars back

Meme stocks soared again on Tuesday, as US equities more broadly stayed muted in the countdown to fresh inflation data and a Jerome Powell speech that could shed light on the path of interest rates.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures (YM=F) were little changed after the blue-chip benchmark broke an eight-day run of gains on Monday in lackluster trading. Futures on the S&P 500 (ES=F) and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) also wavered along the flatline.

GameStop (GME) and AMC (AMC) shares surged in premarket trading, each up over 120% as retail investors piled in for a second day. A rally in meme darlings dominated Monday’s session, with both scoring over 70% in gains as the return of an influential social media star kick-started a new mania for meme stocks.

More broadly, stocks have paused their recent rally as investors wait to discover whether inflation has become less sticky and started to fall, setting the stage for interest rate cuts. A chorus of Federal Reserve officials have sent a clear message they won’t lower rates until they’re confident of a cooling.

Investors will listen closely to comments from Fed Chair Powell on Tuesday morning for any hints to progress on the inflation mission and how the US economy is holding up.

Read more: How does the labor market affect inflation?

An April print on the Producer Price Index due later Tuesday should provide some insight into price pressures. But analysts expect the market’s muted mood to persist until the release of the Consumer Price Index on Wednesday, the week’s most crucial economic data.

On the corporate front, Alibaba (BABA) shares fell around 5% on the heels of its fourth quarter earnings report. The Chinese e-commerce giant posted a worse-than-expected 86% drop in profit but beat Wall Street estimates for revenue.