5 things to know before the stock market opens Thursday

This is CNBC’s Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.

Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:

The August consumer price index, a closely watched measure of inflation, is due in at 8:30 a.m. ET this morning. It follows yesterday’s producer price index, which brought good news on the inflation front. PPI, which tracks wholesaler inflation, unexpectedly declined last month.

Here’s what else you should know:

Economists are expecting CPI to rise 0.3% on the month and 2.9% on the year. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core CPI is expected to increase 0.3% month over month and 3.1% year over year.Investors are hoping that this morning’s data won’t throw cold water on their hopes for an interest rate cut when the Federal Reserve meets next week. Futures market pricing indicates a 100% probability that the central bank will lower the borrowing cost, according to CMEGroup’s FedWatch tool.Meanwhile, the Labor Department’s internal watchdog office opened an investigation yesterday into how the Bureau of Labor Statistics collects data on jobs and inflation.Follow live market updates here.

Conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated yesterday while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. The 31-year-old was a longtime ally of President Donald Trump and known for his work engaging young conservatives through Turning Point USA, which he co-founded.

A manhunt for the killer is ongoing. Authorities said two people detained and questioned about the shooting were released because they did not have any connection to the crime.

Shares of Oracle surged 36% in yesterday’s session after the company’s cloud growth estimates amazed Wall Street. Chairman Larry Ellison raked in an especially notable haul.

Ellison added more than $100 billion to his net worth thanks to the stock’s gains. That puts him closer to surpassing Tesla‘s Elon Musk for the title of the world’s richest individual.

Wednesday’s session was the stock’s best day since 1992. AI-related stocks such as Nvidia and Broadcom also rallied as investors took Oracle’s projections as a positive sign for the broader group’s future.

Amazon is officially jumping into the U.S. robotaxi market. Zoox, which the ecommerce giant acquired for $1.3 billion back in 2020, had its first public launch yesterday.

Zoox is offering free rides from select locations on the Las Vegas strip and has plans to expand in the city, CNBC’s Salvador Rodriguez and Annie Palmer reported. The company said it will start charging riders after receiving regulatory approval.

Amazon enters a market already filled with Big Tech competitors. The sector has so far been dominated by Alphabet‘s Waymo, while Tesla began testing a limited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, earlier this year.

Learn more about Zoox and watch what it’s like to take a ride.

Chipotle yesterday announced plans to expand to Asia through a joint venture with Korean-based operator SPC Group. The fast-casual chain aims to open its first stores in South Korea and Singapore next year.

As CNBC’s Amelia Lucas notes, 98% of the burrito chain’s restaurants are currently in the U.S. However, the California-based company has been trying to grow its international presence in recent years.

Four top bank executives spoke to CNBC about the state of the economy. Here’s what they had to say.

— CNBC’s Amelia Lucas, Sean Conlon, Salvador Rodriguez, Annie Palmer, Jordan Novet, Kif Leswing, Dan Mangan, Kevin Breuninger and Jeff Cox contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this edition.