US stocks today: Wall Street slips from record highs as inflation steadies; traders eye September Fed rate cut
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US stocks today: Wall Street slips from record highs as inflation steadies; traders eye September Fed rate cut

Stocks retreated on Wall Street on Friday, pulling back from their latest all-time highs, after fresh inflation data showed prices largely holding steady. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% a day after notching a record high and remains on track to end August with a nearly 2% gain, its fourth consecutive month of advances.The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 125 points, or 0.3%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite slid 0.9% as of 9:58 a.m. Eastern time. Losses in technology shares weighed on markets, offsetting gains in health care and other sectors, AP reported.Dell Technologies tumbled 9.7%, the sharpest decline among S&P 500 stocks, despite posting second-quarter revenue above expectations. The company flagged margin pressures and weakness in PC demand. Other technology names also declined, with Nvidia falling 2.8%, Broadcom dropping 2.7% and Oracle sliding 3.6%.The Commerce Department reported that prices rose 2.6% in July from a year earlier, unchanged from June and in line with forecasts. Core prices, excluding food and energy, increased 2.9% year-on-year, slightly higher than Juneโ€™s 2.8% and the fastest since February.While inflation has cooled from its 7% peak three years ago, it remains above the Federal Reserveโ€™s 2% target. Fed Chair Jerome Powell signalled last week that a rate cut could come as early as next month, citing signs of a softening labour market.โ€œTodayโ€™s in-line PCE Price Index will keep the focus on the jobs market,โ€ said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. โ€œFor now, the odds still favor a September cut.โ€Traders currently assign an 87% chance of a quarter-point cut at the Fedโ€™s next meeting, according to CME Group data. Lower rates can spur investment and borrowing but also carry the risk of stoking inflation.Bond yields edged higher, with the 10-year Treasury rising to 4.23% from 4.21%, while the 2-year yield held steady at 3.63%. European shares traded mostly lower, and Asian markets closed mixed.US markets will remain shut on Monday for the Labor Day holiday.



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