Wall Street Closes Higher; Inflation Drives S&P 500 and Nasdaq to Record Highs

Investors were encouraged after the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2% in July, down from 0.3% in June.

Quick overview

  • All three major Wall Street indices closed higher on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching record highs.
  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.10%, while the S&P 500 rose 1.13% and the Nasdaq advanced 1.39%.
  • Investors reacted positively to U.S. inflation data, which showed a lower Consumer Price Index increase than expected.
  • The Mexican stock markets also closed higher, influenced by the same U.S. inflation data, with the S&P/BMV IPC index rising 0.57%.

The three major Wall Street indices closed higher on Tuesday. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq reached record highs following inflation data that supported bets on a Federal Reserve interest rate cut.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, composed of 30 major companies, gained 1.10% to close at 44,458.61 points, while the S&P 500, which tracks the most valuable companies, rose 1.13% to 6,445.76 points. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.39% to 21,681.90 points.

Investors were encouraged after the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2% in July, down from 0.3% in June. Over the 12 months through July, the CPI increased 2.7%, slightly below analysts’ expectations of 0.2% monthly and 2.8% annual growth.

Market Performance and Expectations

Federal funds futures, tracked by CME’s FedWatch tool, indicate a 94.4% probability that the Fed will cut interest rates by 25 basis points in its September meeting, lowering the target range to between 4.25% and 4.0%.

This data provided the relief and confirmation Wall Street had been waiting for, boosting expectations of a rate cut. Growing pressure from other Fed members on Jerome Powell makes this adjustment even more likely.

All 11 sectors of the S&P 500 finished the day in positive territory. Notable gains came from Communication Services (+1.81%) and Information Technology (+1.37%). On the Dow, shares of UnitedHealth (+3.65%) and Goldman Sachs (+3.36%) led the gains.

Mexican Stock Exchange

Mexico’s stock markets closed higher on Tuesday, led by gains in Volaris shares amid a session influenced by U.S. July inflation data.

The benchmark S&P/BMV IPC index, which tracks the most traded local stocks on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), rose 0.57% to close at 58,675.04 points. Meanwhile, the FTSE BIVA index, representing the Institutional Stock Exchange (Biva), increased 0.50% to finish at 1,176.93 points.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR See More
Ignacio Teson
Economist and Financial Analyst
Ignacio Teson is an Economist and Financial Analyst. He has more than 7 years of experience in emerging markets. He worked as an analyst and market operator at brokerage firms in Argentina and Spain.

Related Articles

HFM

HFM rest

Pu Prime

XM

Best Forex Brokers