Major U.S. equity indices edged lower on Thursday following a hotter-than-expected Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation report for September and as oil prices spiked, driven by fuel disruptions caused by Hurricane Milton and rising tensions in the Middle East.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from its record high set on Wednesday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 mirrored the decline. Small-cap stocks lagged, with the Russell 2000 dropping 0.9%.
Consumer prices rose 2.4% year-over-year in September, slightly down from August’s 2.5% rate but above the consensus estimate of 2.3%. Core inflation, which strips out the volatile energy and food categories, also came in higher than expected, ticking up from 3.2% to 3.3%.
Despite the inflation uptick, economists and investors remained broadly steadfast in their expectations of a 25-basis-point interest rate cut in November.
In a separate report, weekly unemployment claims surged to 258,000 for the week ending Oct. 5, exceeding forecasts. The spike was likely influenced by auto industry layoffs in Michigan and disruptions caused by Hurricane Helene.
Oil prices rebounded sharply after two days of losses, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbing more than 3% to $75 per barrel. Natural gas prices also advanced over 2%.
Energy stocks outperformed the broader market as a result of the rally in oil prices.
Experts, cited by Reuters, indicated that power outages in Florida, the closure of several product terminals, delayed tanker truck deliveries, and pipeline disruptions would likely keep gasoline prices elevated.
In the Middle East, Israeli forces reportedly fired on UN peacekeeping bases in southern Lebanon, resulting in injuries to two soldiers, according to UN sources. This incident occurred amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon. The incident prompted a sharp response from Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, who summoned Israeli diplomats for an explanation.
Treasury yields remained stable, while the U.S. dollar gained modestly. Gold and silver prices both rose, with gold advancing 0.5% and silver up 1.5%. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) softened 0.4% to $60,300.
Thursday’s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs
According to Benzinga Pro data:
Thursday’s Stock Movers
Read Next:
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.
© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.
