US stock markets presented a mixed performance on Thursday. At the close of trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 44,911 points, a marginal decrease from the previous session.
The broader S&P 500 index registered a slight gain, closing around 6,469 points, while the Nasdaq 100 dipped 0.1 percent to approximately 23,832 points.
Recent optimism stemming from July’s moderate inflation data was tempered on Thursday by the release of US Producer Price Index (PPI) figures. The PPI rose by 0.9 percent last month, exceeding expectations. Year-over-year, producer prices increased by 3.3 percent. This development casts some doubt on the possibility of the US Federal Reserve shifting its focus away from inflation control and prioritizing measures to address rising unemployment through potential interest rate reductions.
In currency markets, the Euro weakened, trading at 1.1649 US dollars, equating to 0.8584 US dollars per Euro.
The price of gold also declined, settling at 3,337 US dollars per troy ounce, a decrease of 0.5 percent, or 92.09 Euros per gram.
Conversely, crude oil prices increased significantly. Brent crude, a North Sea benchmark, reached 66.96 US dollars per barrel on Thursday evening, representing a gain of 2.0 percent from the previous day’s close.
