U.S. stock index futures climbed on Thursday, boosted by inflation data that closely aligned with market expectations, suggesting the Federal Reserve may be closer to potential rate cuts this year. According to BlockBeats, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.9% year-over-year in August, matching forecasts and contributing to the upward trend. On a month-to-month basis, CPI increased by 0.4%, surpassing the anticipated 0.3% rise. Excluding food and energy components, core CPI saw an increase of 3.1% year-over-year. In addition, initial jobless claims in the U.S. reached 263,000 for the week ending September 6th, exceeding expectations of 235,000, according to recent reports. As a result, Dow Jones futures are currently up approximately 0.23%, S&P 500 futures have risen by 0.27%, and Nasdaq futures have increased by 0.35%.