Tonight’s Highlights | U.S. August CPI Rises 2.9% YoY; Three Major Index Futures Edge Higher

On Thursday, US stock index futures rose slightly, and major European indexes generally increased.

Data released before the market showed that the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) in August increased by 2.9% year-on-year, in line with the forecast of 2.9%, and the previous value was 2.7%; it increased by 0.4% month-on-month, higher than the expected increase of 0.3%, and the previous value was 0.2%.

The core CPI in the United States in August increased by 3.1% year-on-year, in line with the forecast of 3.1%, and the previous value was 3.1%; it increased by 0.3% month-on-month, in line with the forecast of 0.3%, and the previous value was 0.3%.

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced its interest rate decision on Thursday, keeping the three key interest rates in the eurozone unchanged for the second consecutive time. The ECB kept the main refinancing rate and the marginal lending rate unchanged at 2.15% and 2.40% respectively, both in line with expectations.

After the release of the latest CPI data in the United States, traders became more determined in their bets on the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts, believing that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at least twice by the end of 2025.

In the previous trading day, Oracle's stock price soared by about 36% in a single day,创下 the largest increase since 1992, and its market value increased by $244 billion. Investors are optimistic about the growth prospects of the company's cloud business.

Traders also regarded this as a positive signal for artificial intelligence (AI)-related transactions. AI concept stocks such as Broadcom, AMD, and Micron also rose one after another, driving the S&P 500 index and the Nasdaq Composite Index to hit record closing highs on Wednesday.

Company news

Oracle is reported to have signed a $300 billion computing power agreement with OpenAI

It is reported that OpenAI has signed an agreement to purchase $300 billion worth of computing power from Oracle in about five years. This transaction is one of the largest cloud service contracts in history. The contract will require a power capacity of 4.5 gigawatts (GW).

Amazon's Zoox launches limited service in Las Vegas, joining the race in the robot taxi market

Zoox, an autonomous driving company owned by Amazon, announced on September 10 local time that it has officially launched a robot taxi service on the Las Vegas Strip and surrounding areas. The company plans to launch the service in San Francisco in the coming months.

Alibaba: Plans to issue approximately $3.2 billion in zero-coupon convertible senior notes due in 2032

On September 11, Alibaba announced on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that it plans to issue zero-coupon convertible senior notes with a principal amount of approximately $3.2 billion due in 2032. The note issuance will be an offshore transaction to certain non-US persons in accordance with Regulation S under the US Securities Act, subject to market and other conditions.

The net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, with the strategic focus on enhancing the company's cloud infrastructure capabilities and expanding international business operations.

Merck announces the cancellation of its £1 billion London drug research center plan

On September 10 local time, Merck Group announced that it will terminate its early-stage drug research and development project in the UK and cancel its plan to invest £1 billion to build a research center in London.