US equities end up, gain for fourth straight session

Most of US stocks closed Thursday in the green. The S&P 500 extended gains for the fourth consecutive session as trade tension concerns eased and inflationary pressures waned.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.65%, or 271 points, to 4,332.

Similarly, the S&P 500 Index added nearly 0.41% to 5,916 points.

The Nasdaq Composite rose around 0.18% to 19,112 points.

As for the European indices, the STOXX Europe 600 gained 0.55% to 546.95 points.

The FTSE 100 inched up 0.55% to 8,633 points. The DAX 40 finished 0.70% up at 23,695 points, while the CAC 40 advanced 0.20% to 7,853 points.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 shed 1% to 37,755 points. TOPIX lost 0.9% to 2,738 points.

On oil, Brent crude futures for July delivery fell by 2.36%, or $1.56, to $64.53 a barrel.

US WTI crude futures for June delivery dropped by 2.42%, or $1.53, to $61.62 a barrel.

As for gold, June futures for the yellow metal declined by 1.18%, or $37.80, settling at $3,226.60 per ounce.

Data released today showed a slowdown in US producer price inflation, easing to 2.4% year-on-year in April from 3.4% in March. Other figures revealed a sharp deceleration in retail sales, which rose just 0.1% month-on-month in April, compared to a revised 1.7% increase in March.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned of the potential for future supply shocks and rising prices as a result. He noted that the Fed is preparing to adjust its broader policy framework to account for significant changes in inflation and interest rate expectations following the 2020 pandemic.