US Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Futures Slip On Weak Sentiment And Inflation Jitters
The Morning Bull - US Market Morning Update Tuesday, Sep, 29 2026
US stock futures point lower this morning, with E-mini S&P 500 contracts down about 0.4% and Nasdaq-100 minis off roughly 1%. Fresh US data is setting the tone. Durable goods orders were flat in August at US$338.6b, yet a core slice of business spending, nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft, rose 1.6%, which hints that some companies are still ordering new equipment even as headline demand cools. At the same time, the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index sits at 48.1 and short term inflation expectations near 5%, indicating that households feel squeezed. The key issue for investors is whether shaky confidence and stubborn price worries affect consumer focused sectors more than business investment linked areas such as industrials and select equipment makers.
With consumer optimism weak and inflation fears still high, many investors are rotating toward companies with resilient balance sheets and steadier cash flows using the 30 resilient stocks with low risk scores.
Top Movers
- Pershing Square (PS) jumped 5.36% on strong interest in Pershing Square's fund structure and portfolio positioning.
- Palo Alto Networks (PANW) gained 4.63% after BTIG raised its Palo Alto Networks price target to US$425 with supportive commentary.
- Twilio (TWLO) rose 4.05% as investors revisited Twilio's exposure to Meta's Muse agent opportunity despite a recent downgrade.
Is Palo Alto Networks still a smart investment or just hype? Read our most popular narrative and get all the answers you need.
Top Losers
- MongoDB (MDB) fell 18.46% after the abrupt CEO resignation and leadership change ahead of MongoDB's investor day.
- Nu Holdings (NU) declined 10.01% following reports that Nu Holdings is considering a multibillion dollar Monzo acquisition.
- Roblox (RBLX) dropped 9.86% after Jefferies downgraded Roblox to Underperform, flagging concerns around bookings and user trends.
Look past the noise - uncover the top narrative that explains what truly matters for Roblox's long-term success.
On The Radar
US trading over the next three sessions is focused on inflation, labor data, and a fresh batch of heavyweight earnings.
- Housing Pulse: S&P/Case Shiller Home Price YoY (US) on Tuesday helps frame housing affordability and household balance sheet pressure.
- Labor Demand: JOLTs Job Openings (US) on Tuesday provides a clearer read on hiring appetite and wage bargaining power.
- Consumer & Inflation Mix: Core PCE, PCE, income, spending, Q2 GDP final (US) on Wednesday anchors the Fed inflation debate.
- Chip Cycle Check: Micron Technology (MU) Q4 results on Wednesday highlight memory pricing, capex plans, and AI driven data center demand.
- Jobs Report Trio: Non Farm Payrolls, unemployment rate, earnings (US) on Friday informs expectations for the next Fed policy steps.
Use our Portfolio or Watchlist features to track market-moving events like these and get alerts for the companies you own, free!
Find Stocks Poised To Move
You are not limited to the usual big tech tickers. Our curated 84 AI infrastructure stocks gives you direct access to companies powering AI demand with scale, capital discipline, and real-world revenue today.
Ready to take control of your next move? Our stock screener lets you run custom searches, filter for ideas that fit your style, and set alerts so you never miss new opportunities.
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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com