Tech Stocks Soar, Treasury Yields Fall On Cool Inflation Data; Starbucks Rockets, Chipotle Plummets: What's Driving Markets Tuesday?

A wave of bullish sentiment swept through Wall Street on Tuesday after lower-than-expected producer inflation data solidified expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, prompting speculators to increase bets on a more significant 50-basis-point move.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) edged higher by only 0.1% from the previous month, falling short of the anticipated 0.2% increase, and marked a 2.2% rise year-over-year, down from the previous 2.7% print.

Traders adjusted their bets on a September rate cut, now assigning a higher probability to a larger 50-basis-point cut at 55% compared to a 45% chance for a smaller 25-basis-point reduction.

The S&P 500 rose 1.1%, the Nasdaq climbed 1.8% and the Dow Jones gained 250 points or 0.6% by midday trading in New York.

Treasury yields fell across all maturities, with the rate-sensitive two-year yield declining by 6 basis points. The U.S. dollar index lost ground against other major currencies and fell 0.3% against the Japanese yen.

Commodities took a breather after Monday’s strong gains, driven by escalating geopolitical risks in the Middle East. Oil prices retreated by 1.8%, pulling energy stocks lower, while gold remained steady, hovering just under 1% below its record highs.

Bitcoin BTC/USD rose 0.6%, eyeing the second-straight session of gains.

Tuesday’s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs

Major Indices	Price	1-day %chg
Nasdaq 100	18,873.07	1.8%
S&P 500	5,409.01	1.2%
Russell 2000	2,082.91	1.1%
Dow Jones	39,608.08	0.6%

According to Benzinga Pro data:

• The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY rose 1.1% to $539.43.
• The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average DIA was trading 0.7% higher to $396.47.
• The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series QQQ rallied 1.9% to $460.05.
• The iShares Russell 2000 ETF IWM tumbled 1.1% to $206.85.
• The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund XLK outperformed, up by 2.5%. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund XLE lagged, down by 0.9%.

Monday’s Stock Movers

• Starbucks Corp. SBUX skyrocketed over 20% following the announcement that Brian Niccol will take the helm as the company’s new CEO, departing from Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. CMG. The reaction marked the strongest one-day surge since the coffee-chain giant went public in 1993.
• Shares of CMG plummeted over 9%. The company appointed former chief operating officer Scott Boatwright as interim CEO.
• Home Depot, Inc. HD rose over 2% after reporting stronger-than-expected revenue and profits last quarter.
• Other stocks reacting to company earnings reports included On Holding AG ONON, up 7.4%, Loar Holdings Inc. LOAR, up 15.4%, Pacs Group Inc. PACS, up nearly 16%, Dyne Therapeutics Inc. DYN, down 0.2% and Talen Energy Corp. TLN up 6.7%.
• Companies slated to report after the close include Nu Holdings Ltd. NU and XP Inc. XP

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