Stocks Supported as Easing Price Pressures Reinforce Fed Rate Cut Hopes

Market Overview - The S&P 500 Index closed up +0.30%, reaching a new record high, while the Dow Jones Industrials Index closed down -0.48% and the Nasdaq 100 closed up +0.04% [1][2] - The broader market was supported by a decline in bond yields, with the 10-year T-note yield falling -6 basis points to a 5-month low of 4.03% [2][10] Company Performance - Oracle's stock surged +35% to a record high after providing an aggressive outlook for its cloud business, driven by strong demand for AI infrastructure [3][14] - Stocks related to AI computing infrastructure also rallied, with CoreWeave up +17%, Broadcom up +9%, and Nvidia up +3% [15] - Apple experienced a decline of more than -3% due to market disappointment over the launch of new products [4][21] - Salesforce fell more than -3% after Oracle's results indicated weak demand for traditional software [4][20] Economic Indicators - US MBA mortgage applications rose +9.2% in the week ended September 5, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate falling to an 11-month low of 6.49% [6] - The final-demand PPI for August eased to +2.6% year-on-year, lower than expectations, indicating a potential easing of inflationary pressures [6][8] Geopolitical and Global Market Impact - Geopolitical tensions in Europe, particularly related to Poland's actions against drones, are negatively impacting stock markets [5] - China's August CPI fell -0.4% year-on-year, marking the steepest decline in six months, which raises concerns about global growth prospects [5] Future Market Expectations - Markets are pricing in a 100% chance of a -25 basis point rate cut at the upcoming FOMC meeting, with expectations of further cuts by year-end [8]