Wall Street Indexes Hug Record Highs Ahead of Inflation Reports

Barry Adams
08 Sep, 2025
Mumbai

Wall Street indexes advanced on Monday as investors prepared to review two inflation reports this week. 

The S&P 500 index edged up 0.2%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.3%, and they hovered near record highs. 

Last week, benchmark indexes trimmed weekly gains on Friday after August's payroll report confirmed a rapidly cooling labor market. 

The latest dismal U.S. jobs report confirmed that the weakening trend in place since May is likely to persist for the rest of 2025 amid erratic U.S. trade policy and fast-changing labor market conditions.

August's nonfarm payroll data confirmed that the labor market is rapidly cooling amid an environment of sustained uncertainty created by constantly changing U.S. trade policy. 

Increasingly, businesses of all sizes are feeling the negative effects of the sharp escalation in import taxes imposed by the Trump administration. 

Agriculture, restaurants, and construction industries are feeling the brunt of the Trump administration's economic agenda, with 1.2 million fewer immigrant workers on payrolls since January.

The erratic trade policy and aggressive immigration enforcement are driving up economic uncertainty and forcing businesses and consumers to delay key financial decisions.

The Trump administration's stated main objective in escalating tariff rates was to expand the manufacturing sector and create new jobs. 

Instead, higher tariffs are forcing manufacturing businesses to slow down activities, fire employees, and pass on higher prices to their customers. 

The August month's payroll data confirmed that the employee base in the manufacturing sector shrank for the fourth consecutive month, with no end in sight. 

 

Week Ahead

In the week ahead, U.S. investors are awaiting the release of two key inflation reports. 

The overall consumer inflation in August is expected to inch higher to 2.9%, and the core inflation rate is likely to stay at 3%. 

Moreover, August's producer price inflation is expected to advance 0.3% from the previous month. 

The two inflation reports could provide additional supporting evidence for the Federal Reserve to begin its rate cut campaign as early as September 18 following the policy meeting. 

On the earnings front, investors are looking forward to results from Oracle, Adobe, Chewy, Casey's General, Daktronics, Value Line, Dakronics, and Designer Brands. 

 

U.S. Stock Movers

EchoStar Corp. jumped 24% to $83.40 after the company said it has agreed to sell its wireless spectrum licenses to SpaceX for $17 billion. 

In addition, the wireless communication company entered into a long-term agreement with SpaceX, which allows the company to sell SpaceX's Starlink Direct services to its Boost Mobile subscribers.

According to the preliminary agreement, SpaceX agreed to pay up to $8.5 billion in cash and up to $8.5 billion in stock.