US stocks opened little changed on Monday, with major indexes hovering near record highs as investors braced for a week of critical inflation data that could influence the Federal Reserve’s interest rate outlook.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 29 points, or 0.07%, in early trading.
The S&P 500 was slightly up 0.06%, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.03%.
Market gains were restrained after a report from the Financial Times indicated that Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) had agreed to hand over part of their revenue from certain chips sold in China in exchange for export licenses to the country.
Nvidia shares fell around 0.3%, while AMD dropped nearly 0.13%.
Caution ahead of inflation data
The modest moves came after the Nasdaq ended last week at fresh closing highs and the S&P 500 approached another milestone, with the Dow also finishing the week on a strong note.
However, concerns over stretched valuations, a softening macroeconomic backdrop, potential tariff impacts, and typical seasonal weakness have some investors questioning how much longer the rally can continue.
Investors are now focused on upcoming inflation readings, which could be decisive for monetary policy.
The consumer price index (CPI) is due Tuesday, followed by the producer price index (PPI) on Thursday. Both will be closely monitored for clues on the Fed’s stance at its September meeting.
The inflation figures will also set the stage for the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium in Wyoming from August 21–23, where policymakers are expected to outline the economic direction ahead of the September rate decision.
Stock movers in focus
Several individual stocks saw notable moves in early trading.
Paramount Skydance was trading up after acquiring US rights to TKO Group’s UFC for seven years beginning in 2026. TKO shares added around 4%.
C3.ai plunged nearly 29% after issuing weaker-than-expected fiscal first-quarter guidance, projecting revenue of $70.2–$70.4 million and a non-GAAP loss of $57.7–$57.9 million.
AMC Entertainment jumped 8% after reporting second-quarter results that beat analyst expectations, breaking even on an adjusted basis compared with estimates for a loss of 7 cents per share.
Revenue of $1.4 billion topped the consensus forecast of $1.34 billion.
Crypto-linked stocks rose as bitcoin approached its all-time high.
Coinbase gained about 5% while MicroStrategy gained 4%, with Robinhood advancing, buoyed by optimism following President Donald Trump’s executive order allowing 401(k) retirement plans to include alternative assets such as cryptocurrencies.
Other movers included CoreWeave, up 5% after JPMorgan maintained its overweight rating and raised its price target, and Intel, which climbed about 4% ahead of CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s White House visit.
Tesla rose 3.9% after applying for an electricity license in the UK, potentially positioning the company to supply power to households and businesses.
As Wall Street navigates a week of pivotal economic data, market participants are weighing the prospects for continued gains against signs of caution from corporate developments and geopolitical factors.
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