U.S. Stock Futures Stall Amid Inflation Wait and Iran Tensions

U.S. equity futures sat largely unchanged as fresh Iranian demands and upcoming inflation releases kept traders on edge Sunday morning.

Iran’s New Strait of Hormuz Conditions Ripple Through Markets

■Iran imposed additional conditions on Strait of Hormuz transits, lifting regional risk premiums.

■S&P 500 futures edged +0.1%, while the Dow Jones slipped ‑0.2%.

■Eurodollar contracts saw a 0.02‑point spread widening.

■Crude oil held at $82 per barrel; natural gas fell to $2.75/MMBtu.

Inflation Data Countdown: Will the Fed Hold Its Ground?

■Core CPI posted a 0.3% monthly rise, above the 3.2% annual target.

■Producer Price Index (PPI) increased 0.2%, outpacing the 0.1% market expectation.

■Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated the 2.5% inflation goal, reviving rate‑hike speculation.

■Bond market kept the 10‑year Treasury yield steady at 3.85%.

LME Copper & Aluminum Inventories Signal China’s Manufacturing Pulse

■LME Copper inventories dropped 30,000 tonnes, a ‑8.5% decline.

■Aluminum stocks fell 22,000 tonnes, down ‑5.9%, reaching historic lows.

■China’s PMI slipped to 52.7, hinting at a modest slowdown in industrial output.

■Global demand kept copper prices near $4.30/lb, while aluminum hovered around $2,350/ton.

As Sinan Kılıç, the analysis points to Iran’s heightened Strait of Hormuz pressures and the looming U.S. inflation reports as catalysts for short‑term market turbulence, while the shrinking LME metal inventories underscore a tentative cooling in China’s manufacturing demand. Investors should reassess risk premiums and adopt diversified hedges to safeguard portfolios.