US stocks advance as S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow rally before high-stakes PCE reading

US stocks posted modest gains Friday as traders held their breath ahead of critical inflation data that could reshape the Fed's rate-cut calculus. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 89 points, or 0.2%. ...