US equities and commodities face pre-market declines amid inflation fears, oil volatility

US equities opened lower pre-market on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.2% at 52,273 points and the Nasdaq 100 falling 1.1% to 29,106, reflecting ongoing concerns over inflation and potential Federal Reserve rate hikes. The broader market sentiment remains fragile, exacerbated by escalating tensions in the Middle East and rising oil prices, which surged past $102 per barrel for Brent crude amid geopolitical risks and Iranian military posturing. Investors awaited US producer price data, which showed August inflation pressures slightly stronger than expected, reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve may tighten policy further in its upcoming meeting. Meanwhile, European markets also experienced pre-market declines, with the Swiss SMI dropping 0.2% to 13,772.20 points after a brief morning rally, while the broader SPI and Mid-Cap index SMIM fell 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively. European equities, including Swiss and German indices, continued their downward trend, with the SMI now down over 600 points for the week and nearly wiping out three months of gains.