US markets today: S&P 500, Nasdaq futures indicate gap-down open over elevated wholesale inflation data

US equity market futures indicate a gap-down open on Thursday, October 15, as investors focus on the higher-than-expected wholesale inflation data for the American economy amid elevated crude oil prices and Treasury yields.

Investing.com data showed that the S&P 500 index futures were trading 0.29% lower at 7,747.50 points, while the Nasdaq 100 futures were down 1.24%, hovering around 29,803.75 points ahead of the opening bell on October 15.

In contrast, the Dow Jones futures were trading 0.50% higher at 52,117 points, indicating a higher open after a flat but negative market close at the previous trading session.

Equity investors also focus on the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) data release, as the September wholesale price data showed a faster-than-expected increase, a day after the CPI inflation data prompted selling pressure on Wall Street and Asian markets.

Data showed that the wholesale inflation rate increased by 6.3% in September 2026, marking its largest hike since December 2022.

“On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand climbed 6.3% for the 12 months ended in September, the largest 12-month increase since moving up 6.4% in December 2022,” as per the official BLS statement.

Apart from inflation data, earnings from key companies will also remain in focus of equity market investors on Wednesday’s market.

Treasury yields

US benchmark 10-year Treasury note yields were trading at 5.06% as of 9:11 am (ET), as investors remain cautious about the elevated wholesale inflation data for the US economy, which in turn increases the probability of an upcoming rate hike from the central bank.

CME Group’s FedWatch tool suggests that market experts predict that there is a 29.3% chance that the US Federal Reserve will increase the benchmark interest rates to the 4.00 to 4.25% range, while 70.7% of experts predict that the central bank will keep the rates on hold at the current level of 3.75% to 4% range.

How did US markets end on Wednesday?

US markets tumbled on Wednesday, October 14, as investors focused on the higher-than-expected consumer price index (CPI) inflation data, increasing the bets for another potential US Federal Reserve interest rate hike in the next FOMC meeting.

Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.09% lower at 51,621.48 points after the trading session on Wednesday, in comparison to 51,670.10 points at the previous equity market, as per MarketWatch data.

The S&P 500 index ended 1.1% lower at 7,718.94 points after the trading session on October 14, compared to 7,805.45 points at the previous US stock market close, according to the exchange data.

Nasdaq 100 index crashed to end 2.02% lower at 29,950.82 points after Wednesday’s market session, in comparison to 30,569.48 points at the previous Wall Street close.