Stock futures flat after S&P 500 hits new high, despite rising inflation

U.S. stock futures were flat Thursday night after the S&P 500 hit a new high during regular trading, despite hotter-than-expected inflation data.

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were close to flat at the start of the overnight session. Nasdaq futures rose 0.1%.

During the regular session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 19 points, or 0.06% to 34,466.24. The S&P 500 ended the day up 0.47% at 4,239.18. The Nasdaq Composite ended the day up 0.78% at 14,020.33.

The Labor Department reported consumer price index data on Thursday, showing inflation is rising at its fastest pace since 2008 as the economy rebounds from the pandemic-related recession.

The CPI represents a basket including food, energy, groceries and prices across a spectrum of goods, and jumped 5% in May from a year earlier.

Markets shrugged off the news, however.

“A significant degree of this inflation may prove transitory as nearly half of the above-average spike in inflation comes from the base effects of last year’s weakened economy and even supply shortages should prove transitory as companies increase productivity and begin to meet pent-up demand,” Jason Pride, CIO of private wealth at Glenmede.

Separately, initial jobless claims for the week ended June 5 came in at 376,000 — the lowest tally of the Covid pandemic — according to a separate Labor Department report released Thursday.