Wall Street traded cautiously on Thursday midday, with major indexes mostly flat while the U.S. dollar slumped to over two-year lows, as investors digested a double dose of soft inflation and a surprise uptick in jobless claims that further bolstered expectations for interest rate cuts.
May’s Producer Price Index rose just 0.1% from the prior month, undershooting forecasts of 0.2%, while the annual rate held steady at 2.6%. Core PPI, which excludes food and energy, cooled to 3.0% year-over-year—its lowest since August 2024—and gained only 0.1% on the month, missing the 0.3% projection.
Jobless claims added to the cautious mood. Initial claims climbed to 248,000 last week, above the 240,000 estimate, while continuing claims hit 1.956 million—the highest level since November 2021—suggesting weakening labor demand.
Trump Pressures Powell, Again
President Donald Trump renewed pressure on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates.
Speaking from the White House, Trump said he told …