U.S. stocks traded mixed on Thursday, with the S&P 500 remaining near its record high as investors weighed the dual impact of slowing inflation and the Federal Reserve’s rollback of interest rate cuts.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell below the flat line after the index crossed 5,400 to close at a new all-time high. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose 0.2% on the heels of setting its own record, with technology stocks leading the broader rally. But the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) headed lower, down 0.7%.
Stocks hit records on an exciting day that brought a double dose of market-moving events: lower-than-expected consumer price inflation and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate forecast.
But policymakers’ shift from three rate cuts this year to just one does not appear to faze investors, given Bank Chairman Jerome Powell’s reminder that expectations are not set in stone. Traders are still pricing in two interest rate cuts starting in September, according to the European Central Bank CME FedWatch tool.
Read more: How does the labor market affect inflation?
The Producer Price Index for May fell in what appears to be the latest sign of easing inflation. The reading fell by 0.2% on a monthly basis after rising by 0.5% in April.
Also looming is a Tesla ( TSLA ) shareholder vote on whether to approve a $56 billion pay package for its CEO Elon Musk, a measure that some major investors have opposed. Musk said overnight that compensation and the electric car maker’s move to Texas had passed “by a wide margin.” Tesla stock jumped about 4% on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a jump in Broadcom (AVGO) shares has lifted market sentiment as it looks to AI and technology to fuel the rally. The chipmaker, a major supplier to Apple (AAPL), is on track for its biggest gains since 2020 after upbeat results fueled by demand for artificial intelligence.
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