US Futures Steady Ahead of PCE Inflation Data

US stock futures remained stable on Friday as investors awaited a crucial inflation report that could influence the Federal Reserve's policy direction. The Commerce Department is scheduled to publish delayed September data on the personal consumption expenditures index, the Fed's preferred inflation measure, in addition to statistics on consumer spending and incomes. Meanwhile, ADP reported an unexpected decrease of approximately 32,000 in private payrolls, and Challenger announced 71,321 job cuts in November, indicating a cooling labor market despite a slight decline in weekly initial claims to around 191,000. During regular trading on Thursday, the Dow fell by 0.07%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite increased by 0.11% and 0.22%, respectively. In after-hours trading, Ulta Beauty surged by 6% following strong earnings, whereas Hewlett Packard Enterprise and SoFi Technologies dropped by 9% and 6%, respectively, due to disappointing updates.