© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
By Sruthi Shankar and Amruta Khandekar
(Reuters) -U.S. stocks extended gains on Wednesday, as fresh inflation data supported views that the Federal Reserve may be done with raising interest rates, while Target surged on an upbeat holiday-quarter forecast.
Target’s shares surged 16.9%, on course for their biggest percentage gain in more than four years, as the big-box retailer forecast fourth-quarter profit largely above expectations on easing supply-chain costs.
The bright outlook lifted shares of other retailers including Macy’s (NYSE:) and Kohl’s (NYSE:), while the consumer staples index, which houses Target, climbed 0.6%.
Data earlier showed the biggest decline in producer prices in three-and-a-half years in October on the back of cheaper gasoline, offering more evidence of easing price pressures.
A separate set showed retail sales fell less than expected in October, slipping 0.1% against forecasts of a 0.3% fall, according to economists polled by Reuters.
“If we’re thinking about reduced inflationary pressure going forward, an environment where the Fed can slow or even stop the rate increases and yet still see somewhat positive economic growth, we’ve had this kind of Goldilocks scenario unfold,” said Steve Wyett, chief investment strategist at BOK Financial.
“We’re in the most seasonally positive period for equity returns and that does give us some confidence that between now and the year end, there’s some room to move higher in equities.”
The benchmark S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq posted their biggest daily percentage gains in more than six months on Tuesday, as softer-than-expected consumer prices data raised hopes that U.S. interest rates may have peaked.
Money market traders have fully priced in the odds that the U.S. central bank will keep rates steady in December, as per CME Group’s (NASDAQ:) Fedwatch tool. They also see the first rate cut of the cycle to kick off in May 2024.
Wall Street’s gains on Wednesday were, however, tempered by losses in some megacap companies and retreat in the utilities sector.
“A little bit of consolidation is not unhealthy… the market has got to digest a pretty big move over the last two or three weeks,” Wyett said.
Focus will be on the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first time in a year on Wednesday, for talks that may ease friction between the adversarial superpowers on military conflicts, drug-trafficking and artificial intelligence.
At 12:02 p.m. ET, the was up 113.92 points, or 0.33%, at 34,941.62, the S&P 500 was up 9.92 points, or 0.22%, at 4,505.62, and the was up 27.06 points, or 0.19%, at 14,121.44.
Further aiding the mood, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a temporary spending bill that would avert a government shutdown, with broad support from lawmakers from both parties.
To prevent a shutdown, the Senate and Republican-controlled House must enact a legislation that Biden can sign into law before current funding for federal agencies expires at midnight on Friday.
Among other stocks, Walt Disney (NYSE:) gained 3.1% after reports said activist investor ValueAct Capital had acquired a stake in the entertainment company.
TJX (NYSE:) fell 3.8% after it forecast current-quarter profit below Wall Street expectations, signaling that spiraling costs were weighing on the off-price retailer’s margins.
Sirius XM (NASDAQ:) surged 6.5% as Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:) took a stake in the audio entertainment company.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.67-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.91-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
The S&P index recorded 40 new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 99 new highs and 55 new lows.