US stock futures were flat on Thursday as investors awaited the August consumer inflation report, which could reinforce expectations for a larger 50 basis point rate cut from the Federal Reserve next week. Markets also looked ahead to weekly jobless claims and federal budget figures. On the earnings front, results from Kroger and Adobe are due. During Wednesday’s session, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.03%, with both indexes hitting fresh record highs following an unexpected drop in producer prices and a strong forecast from Oracle. By contrast, the Dow lost 0.48%, dragged down by Apple after its new product launch disappointed investors. Oracle shares jumped 36% on booming AI-driven cloud bookings, while Apple slid 3.2% as the iPhone 17 rollout failed to impress.