Stocks Slip On Hot Inflation Data, Adobe Tumbles, Natural Gas Hits 1-Year High: What’s Driving Markets Thursday?
Risk sentiment soured on Thursday following hotter-than-expected producer inflation data, which dampened optimism for aggressive interest rate cuts in 2025. Adding to the uncertainty, an unexpected rise in jobless claims cast doubt on the resilience of the U.S. labor market.
Major U.S. stock indices were in the red during midday trading in New York. The Nasdaq 100 slipped 0.4%, retreating from its record highs reached in the previous session, while small caps underperformed as the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM) dropped 1%.
The Producer Price Index surged to 3% year-over-year in November, its highest level since February 2023, outpacing both forecasts and the upwardly revised 2.6% from October. On the labor front, weekly jobless claims rose by 17,000 to 242,000, exceeding consensus estimates of 220,000.
Treasury yields ticked higher, with …