Markets Open · No. 052 · Published 9:31 AM ET
Make sense of the market, every morning.
← Issue 051 Issue 052
01

Three Things to Know

1

CPI came in cooler than expected

Softer inflation cut the odds of another Fed rate hike and pushed the 10-year yield down to 4.57%. Cheaper borrowing costs are why tech led the day.

2

Bank of America earnings jump 27%

CEO Brian Moynihan called the backdrop 'healthy,' and BAC reports again today. Strong bank profits suggest consumers and businesses are still borrowing and spending.

3

Oil and gold both up big — watch this

WTI rose 2.82% and gold 2.16% as the dollar fell 0.53%. Rising crude plus loose money is the recipe that could revive the inflation the market just celebrated killing.

02

Markets at a Glance

Composite Risk Score
5.0/10
Moderate · Stable Conditions
S&P 500+0.25%
7,534
5-day trend
NASDAQ+0.64%
26,038
5-day trend
10Y YIELD-0.74%
4.57%
5-day trend
VIX-2.16%
16.79
5-day trend
DOW JONES
52,476
-0.04%
RUSSELL 2K
GOLD
4,083
+2.16%
OIL WTI
80.34
+2.82%
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03

World Markets

North America
S&P 5007,534.37+0.25%
Nasdaq26,037.56+0.64%
Dow Jones52,475.52-0.04%
Oil (WTI)80.34+2.82%
Gold4,083.20+2.16%
10Y Yield4.57%-0.74%
VIX16.79-2.16%
USD Index100.75-0.53%
Europe
FTSE 10010,507.53+0.09%
DAX25,023.78-0.36%
CAC 408,342.33-0.27%
Euro Stoxx 506,259.28-0.19%
Asia
Nikkei 22567,743.50+0.74%
Hang Seng24,340.73+0.52%
Shanghai3,967.13+1.36%
04

The Big Picture

Cooler inflation set the tone today. The CPI report came in below expectations, and traders read it as one thing: the Fed is done hiking. New Chair Kevin Warsh leaned in, calling inflation a soon-to-be 'thing of the past' and crediting the AI investment boom. Stocks took it in stride — the S&P nudged up 0.25%, the Nasdaq led at 0.64%, and the 10-year yield slipped to 4.57%. Bank of America's 27% profit jump added a vote of confidence in the economy.

The cleaner signal is in commodities, not stocks. Oil jumped 2.82% and gold rose 2.16% on the same day the dollar fell. That's not a calm-market move. Gold buying while stocks rise usually means someone is hedging against the government's borrowing and money-printing, not just chasing safety. Watch whether Warsh's optimism holds if oil keeps climbing. Cheaper money and pricier crude is exactly the mix that can quietly put inflation right back on the table.

05

Story of the Day

Yahoo Finance

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures mixed after cooler-than-expected CPI report

Inflation cooled more than economists guessed, which means the price of everyday goods is rising slower. That takes pressure off the Fed to raise interest rates, so loans, mortgages, and credit cards are less likely to get more expensive. For your investments, lower rate fears usually mean stocks and bonds both breathe easier.

06

More Headlines

07

Coming Up This Week

TUE
14
JPM Earnings ★★
First big bank out; sets the tone for whether lending stayed strong
BAC Earnings ★★
Moynihan already flagged a 'healthy' economy; the numbers need to back it up
8:30 AM ET
CPI (Consumer Price Index) ★★★
Came in cool and drove today's rally; the anchor for Fed rate bets
WED
15
8:30 AM ET
PPI (Producer Price Index) ★★
Wholesale prices are the early warning; a hot print reopens the inflation worry
8:30 AM ET
Empire State Manufacturing Index ★★
Quick read on factory health in the Northeast
THU
16
8:30 AM ET
Retail Sales ★★★
The real test of whether shoppers are still spending; a miss pressures retail stocks
8:30 AM ET
Philly Fed Manufacturing Index ★★
Second factory gauge this week; watch if it confirms Empire State
8:30 AM ET
Jobless Claims ★★
Any jump would be the first crack in the labor story
FRI
17
8:30 AM ET
Housing Starts & Building Permits ★★
Lower yields should help builders; watch if construction responds
9:15 AM ET
Industrial Production ★★
Shows whether factories are actually building more, not just feeling better
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