S&P 500 rises as slowing inflation bolsters Fed pause bets; Fed meeting underway

Investing.com -- The S&P 500 advanced Tuesday as data showing inflation slowing to a more than one-year low, boosting expectations for a Fed pause on rate hikes just as the central bank gets its two-day meeting underway.

The S&P 500 was up 0.8%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.5%, or 183 points higher, the Nasdaq gained 0.8%.

The consumer price index rose 0.1% in May, in line with expectations, following a 0.4% rise in April, marking the 11-straight month of cooling price pressures. That took the year-over-year figure to 4.0%, down from 4.9% reported the month prior and the eleventh consecutive month of cooling price pressures.

“Cooling CPI data out this morning drives the ongoing narrative of a Fed pause ahead of FOMC tomorrow," Janney Montgomery Scott said in a note.

Following the data, bets on a Fed pause were nearly fully priced in at 95%, compared with about 81% a day earlier. The odds of the Fed resuming hikes in July, however, also ticked up to 60% from 50% a day earlier.

Materials stocks led the gains in the broader market, driven by rising commodities including metal prices on optimism over demand after China cut its short-term rates to bolster its post-pandemic recovery.

Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc (NYSE:FCX), Steel Dynamics Inc (NASDAQ:STLD), and Albemarle Corp (NYSE:ALB) were among the biggest gainers up more than 4%.

Energy, meanwhile, shook off its recent malaise as oil prices racked up gains following the accommodative move by the People’s Bank of China.

Baker Hughes Co (NASDAQ:BKR), APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA), and Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) were the biggest gainers in energy, with the latter up more than 3%.

Tech, which has led the broader market, was also in ascendency, though weakness in Apple kept gains in check.

Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) was moderately lower after UBS downgraded its rating on the stock to Neutral from Buy, citing concerns about slowing iPhone sales.

“Tough comps, macro headwinds, and slowing growth in the iPhone installed base will result in a material deceleration in Services revenue growth in FY23 and FY24,” UBS said in a note.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), meanwhile, reported quarterly results that topped Wall Street estimates on both the top and bottom lines, led by strength in its cloud business and the company talked up AI-driven demand.

Deutsche Bank lifted its target on Oracle to $135 from $121, citing exploding AI demand.

For the second-straight day, cruise companies continued to lead consumer stocks higher, with Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH), Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL), and Royal Caribbean Cruises (NYSE:RCL) in rally mode after Bank of America lifted its price target and delivered a bullish outlook on the stocks.