Wall Street Surges as Wholesale Inflation Cools: What's Next for Stocks?

Wall Street Surges as Wholesale Inflation Cools: What’s Next for Stocks?

U.S. stocks rallied on Tuesday following a lower-than-expected wholesale inflation report. The S&P 500 gained 2%, while the Nasdaq rose 2.4%. Experts caution against overinterpreting PPI data, emphasizing the importance of upcoming CPI figures for market direction.

Staff Editor August 15, 2024 2 min read

Stocks Rally on Wholesale Inflation Data, Experts Urge Caution

U.S. stocks surged on Tuesday following the release of the latest wholesale inflation report, with major indices posting significant gains. The S&P 500 closed nearly 2% higher, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 2.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced more than 408 points, or 1.04%.

The July producer price index (PPI) showed a modest 0.1% increase, falling short of economists’ expectations. This data sparked optimism among investors, contributing to the market rally. However, financial experts are cautioning against reading too much into the PPI figures.

Evercore ISI warned that monthly PPI readings have little correlation to the consumer price index (CPI), which is considered a more crucial indicator of inflation. Stephen Stanley at Santander U.S. echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the PPI has limited implications for the CPI.

Investors are now turning their attention to the July CPI report, set to be released on Wednesday. If the data supports expectations of the Federal Reserve cutting rates next month, it could potentially fuel further gains in equities.

Despite the recent market pullback, which saw the Dow and S&P 500 experience their largest one-day declines since 2022 on August 5, major averages have since rebounded significantly. David Russell, TradeStation global head of market strategy, attributed the earlier pullback to normal August seasonality and a “Black Swan” event, referencing the weak July nonfarm payrolls report.

Russell remains optimistic about the market outlook, noting that the data is not sufficiently negative to impact earnings. Expectations of double-digit earnings growth continue to underpin market sentiment.

As investors await the CPI data, market participants are reminded to exercise caution and not to draw premature conclusions based solely on the PPI figures. The coming days may prove crucial in determining the short-term direction of U.S. equities and potential Federal Reserve policy decisions.