Stocks rose Thursday after another key inflation reading came in lighter than expected. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite closed at their highest levels in over a year.
The S&P 500 climbed 0.85% to reach 4,510.04, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 47.71 points, or 0.14%, to close at 34,395.14. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.58% to end at 14,138.57. It was the fourth consecutive day of gains for the major averages.
Cybersecurity stock Palo Alto Networks jumped 2.7%. Meanwhile, shares of MGM Resorts and Alphabet rose 4.1% and 4.7%, respectively.
June's producer price index report rose less than anticipated, building upon optimism from Wednesday's consumer price index data. The PPI, which measures what wholesalers pay for goods, rose 0.1% in June. Economists polled by Dow Jones had expected an increase of 0.2%. Core PPI, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, climbed 0.1% — also lower than expectations.
"The PPI confirmed the cooling inflation shown in yesterday's CPI, but the lower-than-expected weekly jobless claims number was a reminder of continued labor market tightness," said Mike Loewengart, head of model portfolio construction at Morgan Stanley Global Investment Office.
"For now, the stage appears to be set: The Fed is still on track to raise interest rates in a couple of weeks, and investors will shift their focus to corporate balance sheets as earnings season kicks into gear," Loewengart continued.