Dow Jones breaks another record
Consumer prices climb in August, raising questions about when the Fed will hike rates.
It was a split decision on Wall Street on Thursday as gains in a handful of industrial and health care companies largely outweighed sluggishness elsewhere in the market, including the technology sector.
Sizable gains by Boeing and United Technology were enough to push the Dow Jones industrial average to another record, but other major indexes fell.
Retailers were also weak after the government said prices paid by consumers jumped in August. That could prompt the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates sooner than expected in order to cool the economy and stave off inflation. That would be bad for companies like retailers that depend on shoppers spending money.
Energy companies rose as U.S. crude oil climbed to its highest price in six weeks.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slid 2.75 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,495.62. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 45.30 points, or 0.2 percent, to 22,203.48. It was the Dow’s third straight record high close.
The Nasdaq composite slumped 31.10 points, or 0.5 percent, to 6,429.08 as big names like Facebook and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, lost ground. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks fell 1.87 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,425.02.
On the New York Stock Exchange, there were slightly more winners than losers.
The Labor Department reported that U.S. consumer prices grew 0.4 percent in August as gas and housing costs rose. Prices are up 1.9 percent over the last year. That could show inflation is speeding up, though it’s not clear how much of the recent increase in gas prices was due to Hurricane Harvey, which deluged the Gulf Coast region in late August and caused many drilling rigs and refineries to shut down.
The Federal Reserve will meet next week and investors wondered if Thursday’s report makes it more likely the Fed will raise interest rates later in the year. Higher interest rates reduce growth because they make borrowing more expensive.
Michael Scanlon, a portfolio manager for Manulife Asset Management, said if inflation does get stronger over the next few months, “it would be a sign of more health in the economy overall,” he said.
Boeing rose another $3.30, or 1.4 percent, to $245.23. Wednesday afternoon, CEO Dennis Muilenburg said the company expects to start delivering more planes. The stock rose 0.6 percent a day ago. Other industrial companies also climbed. United Technologies gained $2.86, or 2.6 percent, to $113.14.
Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 59 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $49.89 a barrel. That was its highest closing price since the end of July. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 31 cents to $55.47 barrel in London.
Among energy companies, Schlumberger rose 78 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $67.70 and Anadarko Petroleum picked up 40 cents to $43.53.