07:23 AM EDT, 09/11/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity markets were pointing higher before Thursday's opening bell as investors await a key inflation report for last month.

The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.2% each in premarket activity, while the Nasdaq added 0.3%. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq reached new highs for the second consecutive session on Wednesday, while the Dow closed lower.

The consumer price index report for August is scheduled for an 8:30 am ET release. Government data are expected to show that consumer inflation accelerated to 0.3% and 2.9% on sequential and annual bases, respectively, last month, according to a Bloomberg-compiled consensus.

The consumer inflation report comes a day after official data showed that producer prices in the world's largest economy fell for the first time in four months in August, defying Wall Street's expectations for a rise. "An outright disinflationary producer price report -- at least for the month -- seemingly solidifies a (25-basis-point) federal funds rate cut next week," Stifel said in a Wednesday client note.

Markets are currently pricing in a 92% probability that the Federal Open Market Committee will reduce its benchmark lending rate by a quarter percentage point on Sept. 17, with the remaining odds in favor of a 50-basis-point cut, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

The US Department of Labor's internal watchdog said Wednesday it was launching a review of potential issues around the Bureau of Labor Statistics' key jobs and inflation data. The weekly jobless claims bulletin is also out at 8:30 am.

Treasury yields were up in premarket action, with the two-year rate gaining 1.5 basis points to 3.55% and the 10-year rate rising 1.9 basis points to 4.05%.

Shares of Opendoor Technologies ( OPEN ) surged 32% pre-bell after the company hired Shopify (SHOP) Chief Operating Officer Kaz Nejatian as its new chief executive. Oxford Industries ( OXM ) climbed 15% as the clothing company reiterated its full-year outlook after posting fiscal second-quarter earnings above expectations.

Oracle (ORCL) added 1.5% early Thursday after closing the previous trading session up 36%. The company could become "the biggest large-cap growth acceleration story" across the technology space, UBS Securities said in a note e-mailed Wednesday.

Kroger ( KR ) is slated to report its latest financial results before the bell, among others, while Adobe (ADBE) and RH (RH) post earnings after the markets close.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil slipped 0.7% to $63.21 a barrel before the open. Commercial crude stockpiles in the US saw a surprise increase last week, government data showed Wednesday.

Gold decreased 0.6% to $3,659 per troy ounce, while bitcoin rose 0.6% to $114,088.