US markets end lower after hotter-than-expected inflation print

14 Sep 2022 Evaluate

The US markets ended deeply in red on Tuesday following the release of the Labor Department's highly anticipated report on consumer price inflation in the month of August. The report showed an unexpected monthly uptick in consumer prices as well as a smaller than expected slowdown in the annual rate of price growth. The Labor Department said its consumer price index inched up by 0.1 percent in August after coming in unchanged in July. Street had expected consumer prices to edge down by 0.1 percent. The modest increase in consumer prices came as higher prices for shelter, food and medical care offset another steep drop in gasoline prices. Compared to the same month a year ago, consumer prices were up by 8.3 percent in August, reflecting a slowdown from the 8.5 percent spike in July. However, Street had expected the annual rate of growth to slow to 8.1 percent.

The report also showed core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy prices, climbed by 0.6 percent in August after rising by 0.3 percent in July. Core prices were expected to increase by another 0.3 percent. Meanwhile, the annual rate of growth by core consumer prices accelerated to 6.3 percent in August from 5.9 percent in July. The annual rate of growth was expected to rise to 6.1 percent. The data led to renewed concerns about the outlook for interest rates ahead of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting next week. On the sectoral front, semiconductor stocks turned in some of the market's worst performances on the day, resulting in a 6.2 percent nosedive by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. Interest rate-sensitive housing stocks also saw substantial weakness, as reflected by the 5.9 percent plunge by the Philadelphia Housing Sector Index.

Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1,276.37 points or 3.94 percent to 31,104.97, Nasdaq dropped 632.84 points or 5.16 percent to 11,633.57 and S&P 500 was down by 177.72 points or 4.32 percent to 3,932.69.

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