The S&P 500 edged higher on Wednesday, propelled by a softer-than-expected U.S. inflation report and a rally in technology stocks, led by AI-focused companies CoreWeave and Super Micro Computer. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 21.58 points, or 0.04%, to close at 53,770.27. The Nasdaq Composite gained 143.04 points, or 0.54%, finishing at 26,588.48. The S&P 500 rose 20.3 points, or 0.26%, to 7,748.5.
July's Consumer Price Index came in line with expectations, with the headline CPI rising 0.1% month-over-month, bringing the annual inflation rate to 3.4%. The core CPI, which excludes food and energy, increased 0.2% from the previous month and 2.5% year-over-year. Both annual rates for headline and core CPI were slightly lower than June's figures. The data was released as the Federal Reserve has been closely monitoring the impact of price pressures on U.S. consumers, with three voting members at the last meeting supporting a rate hike. These concerns have not abated, and U.S. oil prices rose above $83 per barrel on Wednesday as hopes for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz dimmed. However, following the report, market expectations for the Fed to hold interest rates steady next month have strengthened. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, federal funds futures trading now prices in roughly a 60% probability that the central bank will keep the benchmark rate in its current range of 3.50% to 3.75%, up from over 45% a week ago.
"The in-line inflation data will reinforce the 'no rate hike' narrative that formed after last week's jobs report," said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. "There is still another round of inflation data before the September FOMC meeting, so the story could still change. But unless those numbers tell a very different story, the Fed is likely to keep rates unchanged next month."
Meanwhile, the latest quarterly results and guidance from CoreWeave and Super Micro Computer reassured investors that demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure remains robust. CoreWeave shares surged 19% after the cloud infrastructure player posted an adjusted operating margin of 5% for the second quarter, exceeding expectations, with revenue doubling year-over-year. Super Micro Computer jumped 19% after issuing strong first-quarter earnings and revenue forecasts. Other AI-related stocks also advanced. Dell Technologies rose nearly 10%, Micron Technology gained close to 5%, and Cisco Systems added nearly 3%. Additionally, shares of Nebius, a new Dutch cloud service specialist trading in the U.S., soared 34%.
Comments