Stocks stepped higher Wednesday as inflation continued its cooldown in the US, weakening the case for more interest-rate rises from the Federal Reserve.
Futures on the S&P 500 (^GSPC) were up around 0.7%, while those on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) added about 0.6%. Tech-focused Nasdaq 100 futures were almost 0.9% higher. All three major benchmarks closed with gains on Tuesday.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) report slowed to its lowest rate since March 2021, which is bolstering hopes that Fed officials might rethink their stance that more rate hikes are needed to ease price pressures.
But the rate is still above the central bank’s 2% target, and traders are pricing in a 91% chance of a rate hike at the Fed’s July meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.
Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
