US Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Futures Rise As Sticky Inflation Tempers Rate Cut Hopes

The Morning Bull – US Market Morning Update Monday, Mar, 16 2026

US stock futures are pointing higher this morning, with contracts tied to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq up around 0.4%, as investors weigh stubborn inflation against a still resilient consumer. The PCE price index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, rose 0.3% in January and core PCE climbed 0.4%, which means the cost of living is easing more slowly than the Fed’s 2% goal. At the same time, personal spending increased 0.4% and US job openings reached 6.9 million, showing households and employers are not slamming the brakes. The key question now is whether steady demand keeps pressure on the Fed to hold rates higher for longer, which would keep interest rate sensitive areas such as growth stocks and real estate in the spotlight.

With inflation staying sticky and rates potentially higher for longer, focus your search on 74 resilient stocks with low risk scores.

Top Movers

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SNDK 1-Year Stock Price Chart

Top Losers

If you want to compare these sharp moves against a broader list of names with steadier profiles, it can help to run them through a consistent filter like solid balance sheet and fundamentals stocks screener (42 results)

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ULTA 1-Year Stock Price Chart
ULTA 1-Year Stock Price Chart

On The Radar

Earnings from consumer and tech names take focus early in the week, alongside closely watched central bank decisions and yields.

  • Retail focus: Dollar Tree (DLTR) reports Q4 2026 today, giving you a read on discretionary and value oriented spending.
  • China housing and consumption: recent data on output, retail sales, and home prices frame sentiment around global growth and commodities.
  • Tech hardware: Micron Technology (MU) reports Q2 2026 on Wednesday, highlighting memory demand trends across PCs, data centers, and devices.
  • Consumer staples: General Mills (GIS) Q3 2026 on Wednesday will spotlight pricing power, costs, and branded food demand.
  • Brand strength: lululemon athletica (LULU) Q4 2026 on Tuesday offers insight into premium apparel demand and store productivity.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data
and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice.
It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your
financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data.
Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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