US Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Futures Climb As Inflation And Energy Jitters Linger

Simply Wall St

Wed, March 25, 2026 at 6:04 AM EDT 3 min read

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US stock futures are pointing higher this morning, with E mini S&P 500 contracts up about 1% and Nasdaq 100 futures ahead by a little more than 1%. The backdrop is a mix of easing geopolitical worry and stubborn inflation risk. US 10 year Treasury yields are around 4.4%, which is relatively high and reflects worries that interest rates may stay elevated, especially as energy costs keep pressure on prices. At the same time, US manufacturing and services scorecards sit just above the line that separates growth from contraction. The big question for investors now is how longer lasting higher rates and firm energy prices will affect rate sensitive sectors such as real estate and banks, compared with more growth focused areas such as technology and small caps.

With rates staying elevated and inflation sticky, focus on 73 resilient stocks with low risk scores before volatility bites harder.

• Lumentum Holdings (LITE) jumped 10.02% after fresh reports highlighted strong recent share price momentum.

• Fabrinet (FN) gained 9.96% as coverage pointed to ongoing growth in its optics operations.

• Corning (GLW) rose 8.43% after BofA raised its price target and reiterated its glass demand thesis.

Is Lumentum Holdings still a smart investment or just hype? Read our most popular narrative and get all the answers you need.

• Circle Internet Group (CRCL) fell 20.11% as crypto related stocks dropped alongside fresh US stablecoin legislation headlines.

• Axon Enterprise (AXON) declined 9.99% after recent gains in defense and public safety names saw a sharp pullback.

• Estée Lauder Companies (EL) dropped 9.85% as merger talks with Puig prompted investors to reassess the proposed combination.

Look past the noise – uncover the top narrative that explains what truly matters for Axon Enterprise’s long-term success.

Earnings and labor trends are in focus, with payroll services, uniforms, and global e commerce all updating investors.

• Paychex (PAYX) is reporting Q3 2026 results pre market on Wednesday, spotlighting payroll demand and client retention trends.

• Cintas (CTAS) will report Q3 2026 results on Wednesday, highlighting business spending on uniforms and facility services contracts.

• PDD Holdings (PDD) is releasing Q4 2025 results pre market on Wednesday, providing a read on cross border e commerce activity.

• BeOne Medicines will report fiscal 2025 results on Wednesday at 12:30 PM Eastern, updating progress on its drug development pipeline.

• Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) is issuing Q1 2026 results on Friday, outlining booking trends and cost control for cruise demand.