Stock Futures Waver Ahead of Crucial CPI Inflation Report

Stocks looked set to struggle for direction on Friday, with investors reluctant to make any major moves ahead of March inflation data—the market’s first chance to see how last month’s oil shock affected consumers. S&P 500 futures were flat, while contracts tied to the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 were edging up less than 0.1%. The market has been grinding higher despite concerns about the fragile cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran, with further tensions emerging overnight after President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Iran was “doing a very poor job” allowing oil to flow through the Strait of Hormuz.