US stocks rallied on Wednesday as high hopes for bank earnings paid off and a crucial consumer inflation update showed prices increased less than expected in December.
The benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) popped more than 1.6% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose more than 1.5%. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) soared 2.2%.
Stocks took a leg higher after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed progress toward the Fed’s 2% inflation target in December.
Prices climbed 0.2% month-on-month on a “core” basis, which strips out the more volatile costs of food and gas, an easing from November’s 0.3% gain. Over last year, core CPI rose 3.2%.
Until the latest print, annual core CPI had been stuck at a 3.3% gain for the four months. December was the first time since July that the metric reflected a deceleration in price growth.
As of 11:44:09 AM EST. Market Open.
^DJI ^IXIC ^GSPC
The 10-year Treasury yield (^TNX) dropped over 14 basis points to trade around 4.64% after the cooler-than-expected reading. It had been up at its highest level in more than a year, serving as a headwind for stocks. The interest rate sensitive small-cap Russell 2000 Index (^RUT) soared in reaction, rising 2.3%.
Traders still see just a 3% chance that the Fed lowers rates in January, per the CME FedWatch Tool. They remain split on whether a cut will come in the back half of this year, with odds of easing in June now seen as more likely than not.
Read more: What a Fed rate cut means for bank accounts, CDs, loans, and credit cards
Spirits also got a boost from Wall Street bank earnings reports, which brought surging profits thanks to a dealmaking revival and investment banking strength. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) delivered on optimistic analyst expectations with a second straight year of record profit, while Goldman Sachs (GS) profit beat estimates. BlackRock (BLK), Wells Fargo (WFC) and BNY (BK) also booked bumper quarters.
LIVE 8 updates
