US equity markets presented a mixed performance on Thursday. At the close of trading in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average settled at 44,911 points, a marginal decrease from the previous session.
The broader S&P 500 Index registered a slight gain, concluding the day around 6,469 points, while the Nasdaq 100 experienced a fractional decline of 0.1 percent, finishing at approximately 23,832 points.
Recent optimism surrounding subdued inflation figures for July was tempered by the release of US Producer Price Index (PPI) data. PPI rose by 0.9 percent last month, exceeding expectations and potentially indicating continued inflationary pressure. Year-over-year, producer prices increased by 3.3 percent. This development casts some doubt on expectations that the Federal Reserve might prioritize addressing rising unemployment figures by initiating interest rate cuts in the near future.
The Euro weakened against the US Dollar on Thursday evening, trading at 1.1649 US dollars per Euro. Conversely, the US Dollar was valued at 0.8584 Euros.
Gold prices decreased slightly, closing at 3,337 US dollars per troy ounce, a decrease of 0.5 percent, equivalent to 92.09 Euros per gram.
Crude oil prices, however, saw a significant increase. Brent crude, the benchmark North Sea variety, traded at 66.96 US dollars per barrel late Thursday, representing a gain of 2.0 percent from the previous session’s close.