Stock Futures Muted as Key Inflation Data Pours In

Stock futures are mostly muted this morning, following a tumultuous session that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) log its worst day since Jan. 29. Blue-chip index futures were last seen just above breakeven, after key inflation data poured in. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Producer Price Index (PPI) rose 0.6% in April, bringing its year-over-year rise to 6.2% -- its largest recorded increase. Meanwhile, S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) futures are in the black, the latter particularly so after investors moved to buy tech stocks that have been dented over the week. 

Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

• Is GameStop stock ready to jump once again?
• A bullish signal could send AR higher.
• Plus, Alibaba stock dips on earnings whiff; SONO boosts full-year guidance; and more on Boeing's 737 Max jet drama.

5 Things You Need to Know Today

1. The Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE) saw more than 1.3 million call contracts traded on Wednesday, and 838,370 put contracts. The single-session equity put/call ratio rose to 0.63 and the 21-day moving average rose to 0.50.
2. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd - ADR (NYSE:BABA) is down 3.3% in electronic trading, after the Chinese e-commerce giant reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that fell short of forecasts. And while revenue was slightly higher than analysts expected, the company is still reeling from a $2.8 billion fine it received after an anti-monopoly investigation. Alibaba did give an upbeat 2022 revenue forecast, and is off just 5.5% in 2021.
3. Audio equipment manufacturer Sonos Inc (NASDAQ:SONO) stepped into the earnings confessional,announcing fiscal second-quarter earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street's estimates. In addition, the company raised its full-year guidance, saying it was confident it could brush off the global chip shortage and meet demand. SONO was last seen up 13.2% pre-market, and year-over-year boasts a respectable 231.5% lead.
4. The shares of Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) is up 1% before the open, as the jet liner manufacture continues to deal with the fallout from two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max jet. Today, however, the company received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for its proposed fix to the jet's electrical systems, and said it would take just one or two days to implement. The equity so far this year has tacked on 3.1%.

5. More initial and continuing jobless claims data are due out on today, which should keep investors on the edge of their seats.

Asian Stocks Fall on U.S. Inflation Data

Asian markets were substantially lower on Thursday, after stateside inflation data stoked fears that higher interest rates may be on the horizon. Investors are also digesting e-commerce giant Alibaba’s (BABA) full-year fiscal report. Pacing the laggards was Japan’s Nikkei, which fell 2.5% -- thanks to a 7% bear gap from Softbank -- followed by an 1.8% drop from Hong Kong’s Hang Seng. South Korea’s Kospi also logged a steep 1.3% decline, while China’s Shanghai Composite shaved roughly 1%.

European markets are falling as well, as investors digest the concerning inflation data and mixed corporate earnings reports from Burberry, BT Group and Telefonica. In response, London’s FTSE 100 was last seen down 1.7%, the German DAX is down 0.9%, and France’s CAC 40 has shed 0.8%.