The Dow and broader stock market rallied on Friday, buoyed by bets on upcoming rate cuts as inflation cooled and producer prices saw a modest rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 40,000 for the first time since mid-May, climbing over 200 points. Meanwhile, the small-cap Russell 2000 continued its ascent, jumping 1% following a 4% surge on Thursday.
All sectors of the S&P 500 gained, with nearly every stock in the index posting advances. This broad market rally, underpinned by favorable economic data, suggests a potential rate cut in September, with the CME FedWatch Tool indicating nearly 90% odds of this happening.
US indexes closed higher: the S&P 500 rose 0.6%, the Nasdaq also up by 0.6%. In the bond market, yields fell as investors adjusted to the optimistic economic outlook, with the two-year Treasury note dropping about 14 basis points over the week.
Amid these market movements, commodities like oil and gold saw slight declines, while Bitcoin edged up by 0.5%.