The US markets ended higher on Wednesday, snapping a three-day decline in the Dow and the S&P 500. Energy, real estate and financials were the best-performing sectors in the S&P 500. However, the mood was cautious as investors awaited more clarity on the Federal Reserve’s fight against inflation. Investors were awaiting the three-day Jackson Hole economic symposium that starts Thursday with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell slated to speak Friday morning. Fed watchers expect him to reinforce the central bank’s goal of squashing inflation and keeping expectations about future price gains in check. Key economic reports through the remainder of the week include jobless claims on Thursday and the personal consumption expenditures price index on Friday. The Fed keeps a close eye on the PCE report, one of its favorite measures of inflation.
On the economic data front, new orders for US manufactured durable goods were virtually unchanged in the month of July, according to a report released by the Commerce Department. The Commerce Department said durable goods orders edged down by less than a tenth of a percent in July after surging by a revised 2.2 percent in June. Street had expected durable goods orders to increase by 0.6 percent compared to the 2.0 percent jump that had been reported for the previous month. Excluding a pullback in orders for transportation equipment, durable goods orders rose by 0.3 percent for the second straight month. Ex-transportation orders were expected to inch up by 0.2 percent. Stock specific development, Nordstrom shares plunged 19 percent after the company lowered its full-year outlook.
Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 59.64 points or 0.18 percent to 32,969.23, Nasdaq gained 50.23 points or 0.41 percent to 12,431.53 and S&P 500 was up by 12.04 points or 0.29 percent to 4,140.77.
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