Wall Street saw a surge in stocks at the opening bell on Thursday, driven by robust retail sales and wholesale price inflation data that exceeded expectations. Investors closely examined these figures, anticipating potential implications for Federal Reserve rate policy decisions.
The S&P 500 index climbed by 0.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average registered a 0.4% increase, equivalent to approximately 150 points. The Nasdaq Composite also made significant gains, rising by around 0.6%, bolstered by the stock market debut of British chipmaker Arm.
Yesterday, traders exhibited a degree of caution in response to slight consumer inflation growth reported for August. Economists, however, were quick to note that this modest uptick was unlikely to alter the course of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy.
This morning, the release of August retail sales figures painted a more optimistic picture than the preceding month, indicating a higher level of resilience among US consumers than initially projected. The Producer Price Index witnessed a 1.6% surge over the past year, although core wholesale inflation showed a slight decrease, falling to 2.2% from the previous month’s 2.4%.
According to data from the CME Group, there is a 97% probability that the Federal Reserve will maintain its current stance at the forthcoming September 19-20 meeting. Against this backdrop, Wall Street closely monitored oil prices, which remained near their 10-month peak.
The highly-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) of Arm, which priced at the upper end of its range, injected fresh excitement into the Nasdaq. The debut of this market player brought a new dynamic to the trading floor.
In summary, Wall Street responded positively to the robust retail sales and wholesale price inflation data, with an eye on the potential shifts in rate policy. The strong performance observed at the opening bell reflected investor confidence in the resilience of the US consumer market.
Source: Yahoo Finance
