why is stock market down today

The U.S. stock market is down today mainly due to investors awaiting key consumer inflation data, which could influence the Federal Reserve's decisions on interest rate cuts. Futures for major indexes like the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq are down between 0.3% and 0.5% as traders brace for this inflation report expected to provide clues on possible rate easing. Additionally, recent concerns include a disappointing outlook from Marvell Technology on its AI chip business, which has dampened optimism in AI stocks, and ongoing uncertainty from geopolitical tariff tensions have also weighed on market sentiment. Despite today's dip, markets have been near record highs recently, reflecting strong gains driven largely by AI and technology stocks this month.