US CPI today: 5 stocks that could explode if inflation delivers a surprise

Wall Street is waiting for Friday’s CPI report, which could determine whether the Federal Reserve raises interest rates next week.

August CPI is expected to rise 0.4% from July and 3.4% from a year earlier, while core inflation is forecast at 0.2% monthly and 2.4% annually.

Markets are pricing roughly a 70% chance of a quarter-point Fed hike, while the 10-year Treasury yield has climbed close to 5%.

A softer core reading could give five rate-sensitive stocks an outsized lift.

Opendoor stock could be the highest-beta housing trade

Opendoor is directly exposed to housing turnover and financing conditions.

Lower Treasury yields can feed into cheaper mortgages, improving transaction activity while easing the cost of holding homes on its balance sheet.

JPMorgan analyst Dae K Lee remains constructive even without a macro recovery.

Lee maintained an Overweight rating and $8 target, arguing Opendoor “could reach ANI profitability” with no housing rebound required.

That makes a cool CPI print additive rather than essential. If mortgage-rate expectations fall sharply, investors could quickly reassess one of the market’s most rate-sensitive housing names.

Rocket stock could rerate if mortgage assumptions change

Rocket Companies has an even cleaner link to rates, as mortgage demand is highly sensitive to borrowing costs, meaning lower Treasury yields can support refinancing and home-purchase activity.

Morgan Stanley analyst Jeffrey Adelson upgraded Rocket to Overweight with a $19 target.

According to The Fly, Adelson said the shares were effectively pricing mortgage rates of 6.5% or higher “indefinitely”, while forecasting “strong EPS growth from here”.

A softer CPI print could challenge that assumption. If traders price lower policy rates and mortgage costs, Rocket’s earnings outlook could improve alongside its valuation.

Affirm stock could get relief on both sides

Affirm stands to benefit if cooler inflation reduces funding pressure while keeping consumer borrowing affordable enough to support transaction growth.

Loop Capital recently initiated coverage with a Buy rating and $105 target.

According to TipRanks, analyst Reginald Smith described Affirm as one of the “highest-quality growth stories in consumer fintech” and expects gross merchandise volume and revenue growth above 25%.

Lower yields would not remove credit risk, but they could improve the financing backdrop supporting that growth.

For Affirm, the best CPI outcome is one that lowers funding costs without signalling weaker consumer demand.

Carvana stock could benefit from cheaper monthly payments

Carvana’s sensitivity comes through vehicle affordability.

Used-car buyers focus heavily on monthly payments, making financing rates a major part of purchasing power.

Lower borrowing costs can improve affordability without requiring Carvana to cut vehicle prices aggressively.

Citizens analyst Andrew Boone recently lowered his target to $83 but continued to describe Carvana as a “Structural Winner.”

A downside CPI surprise could strengthen that thesis by easing one of the biggest macro pressures facing auto buyers.

Coinbase stock is the high-beta risk-on wildcard

Coinbase has the least direct operational connection to interest rates, but potentially the most explosive reaction if CPI triggers a broader risk-on reversal.

A cooler reading could pull Treasury yields and the dollar lower, reduce Fed-hike expectations and support Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Higher crypto prices generally encourage trading activity, an important driver of Coinbase revenue.

Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Thursday with an Equal Weight rating and $250 target.

“We are more constructive on the franchise than the shares at current valuation,” analyst Michael Cyprys said, according to Investing.com.

His caution reflects Coinbase’s wide range of outcomes, but that is also why the stock belongs here.