Major U.S. stock indices fell for a fourth consecutive day as persistent inflation and rising Treasury yields pressured markets.
Major U.S. stock indices, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite, recorded losses for the fourth straight day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.7%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both declined by 0.6%. Economic data released on Thursday showed the August Producer Price Index (PPI) rose 5.4% annually, exceeding the 5.3% expected by economists. This unexpected reading of wholesale inflation signaled persistent price pressures, causing Treasury yields to climb higher across short and long maturities. Two-year Treasury yields rose alongside 10-year notes, with the benchmark yield trading near the 5% boundary. Investors reacted to the data by reassessing the monetary policy trajectory. Traders now price in a 72% chance of a quarter-point rate increase at the mid-September meeting. The shift toward a hawkish policy outlook contributed to downward pressure on equities as investors recalculated future borrowing expenses and corporate profit margins.
Sources
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Stock Market Today: Dow Drops As Oil, Yields Surge; Tech Titan Oracle's Earnings On Deck (Live Coverage)
Investor's Business Daily
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Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq on track for 4th straight day of losses
MarketWatch
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Yahoo Finance