--- title: "SPX: S&P 500 Futures Nudge Higher as Traders Size Up Fed, Retail Earnings" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/296057753.md" description: "S&P 500 futures edged higher as traders assessed weak July retail sales, which missed forecasts and reduced odds of a September Fed rate hike. Key focus shifts to upcoming earnings from Home Depot, Target, Lowe's, and Walmart, alongside Wednesday's Fed minutes and UK inflation data. Meanwhile, Asian markets were subdued, oil prices rose due to geopolitical tensions, and Reddit joined the S&P 500." datetime: "2026-08-17T05:04:02.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/296057753.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296057753.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/296057753.md) --- # SPX: S&P 500 Futures Nudge Higher as Traders Size Up Fed, Retail Earnings Key points: - US equity futures stand still - Markets look to more earnings - Fed minutes, UK inflation on deck Walmart, Fed minutes and UK inflation now get your calendar’s starring roles. 📊 **Records pause, futures hesitate** - S&P 500 futures edged slightly higher Monday and Nasdaq contracts gained roughly 0.3%, while Dow futures slipped about 0.1%. - Traders returned to a market still near record territory but newly unsure whether weak economic data deserves lower rates, lower earnings — or somehow higher stock prices. - Friday’s S&P 500 lost 0.2%, the Nasdaq Composite fell around 0.4% and the Dow eased roughly 0.1%. Still, the S&P and Nasdaq completed their third consecutive winning week, gaining 0.4% and 0.1%. The Dow dropped 0.6% for the week. - July retail sales unexpectedly fell 0.6%, Friday data showed, their first decline in nine months, while core sales dropped 0.4%. Both missed forecasts and pushed September Fed-hike odds toward 30%. 🌏 **Asia waits, oil refuses peace** - Asian markets were subdued Monday. Japan’s Nikkei gained about 0.4%, Australia slipped 0.3% and South Korea was closed for a holiday. - Investors awaited Chinese economic figures while weighing weaker US consumption against another rise in the price of globally inconvenient barrels. - Brent crude approached $89 and WTI climbed toward $83 after gaining more than 5% last week. US-Iran negotiations remain stalled and Hormuz tanker traffic has collapsed. - The dollar softened as US tightening bets faded, helping the euro and yen. nevertheless remains close enough to ¥160 to keep intervention risk relevant. - Gold advanced toward $4,390, while Bitcoin hovered above $63,000 after dropping roughly 3% last week. Risk appetite appears to be alive, just supervised. 🗓️ **Your week, fully capable of chaos** - Retail earnings become the consumer-health report for Wall Street. Home Depot reports Tuesday, Target and Lowe’s Wednesday, then Walmart Thursday. - Watch comparable sales, customer traffic and guidance. Shoppers trading down could help Walmart while making home-improvement aisles considerably lonelier. - Fed minutes arrive Wednesday, although they predate weak employment, tame inflation and disappointing retail sales. UK inflation also lands Wednesday and could move . - Reddit enters the S&P 500 before Tuesday’s opening bell, triggering purchases by index-tracking funds. 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