12th September 2026 – (New York) U.S. stocks rebounded on Friday, ending a four‑session decline as oil prices cooled and traders set aside concerns from the latest inflation print. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 509.19 points, or 0.98 per cent, to 52,573.29. The S&P 500 gained 0.86 per cent to 7,656.98, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.96 per cent to 26,333.04.
Crude benchmarks gave back part of the week’s sharp run‑up amid Middle East tensions. West Texas Intermediate futures settled down 2.4 per cent at US$100.05 a barrel, and Brent eased 2.8 per cent to US$104.61. Even so, WTI climbed nearly 10 per cent on the week and Brent almost 9 per cent, with higher energy costs continuing to filter through to consumer prices.
August’s consumer price index increased 0.4 per cent month on month and 3.4 per cent year on year, in line with consensus. Core CPI rose 0.3 per cent, a touch hotter than expected. Treasury yields were broadly steady after the release, though the two‑year yield edged above 4.6 per cent, its highest since July 2024, reflecting firmer expectations of a Federal Reserve rate increase next week. Futures pricing implied roughly an 86 per cent chance of a quarter‑point move.
Risk appetite improved across sectors, with 10 of the S&P 500’s 11 groups higher and breadth positive on the New York Stock Exchange as advancers outpaced decliners by about two to one. Technology leadership featured gains in Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Dell Technologies, each up close to double digits, following upbeat brokerage commentary on artificial‑intelligence infrastructure demand. Cisco Systems was the Dow’s biggest percentage gainer, while Caterpillar provided the largest points boost; healthcare heavyweights including UnitedHealth, Amgen and Johnson & Johnson lagged.
Elsewhere, traders monitored headline risks after Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its East‑West crude pipeline as a precaution following attacks that caused injuries, according to the kingdom’s Energy Ministry. In Washington, Treasury data showed the federal budget deficit reached US$1.96 trillion with one month left in the fiscal year; August posted a US$166.8 billion shortfall, with officials noting calendar effects on the comparison with a year earlier.
