Consumer staples stocks are rallying in pre-market trading as investors seek defensive assets following recent inflation data that came in hotter than expected. This has intensified concerns about potential Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, prompting a rotation out of growth-oriented sectors like technology and into more resilient areas of the market. The move comes ahead of today's key economic data releases, including the Producer Price Index (PPI) and retail sales figures, which will provide further insight into the state of the economy.