US stocks end lower as investors await key inflation data

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - US stocks closed with losses Tuesday as investors awaited key inflation data that will be released before the beginning of the next session.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 56 points, or 0.17%, to finish at 33,561. The S&P 500 was down almost 19 points, or 0.46%, at 4,119.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq decreased 77 points, or 0.63%, to end the session at 12,179.

The key consumer inflation figures for April will be released Wednesday before the market opens at 8.30 a.m. EDT.

While consumer inflation rose 9.1% annually last June, the largest 12-month increase since November 1981, the Federal Reserve’s aggressive monetary tightening and rapid interest rate increases substantially slowed down the figure to a 5% annual gain in March.

The VIX volatility index, also known as the fear index, jumped 4.3% to 17.71. The 10-year US Treasury yield, meanwhile, rose 0.26% to 3.528%.

The dollar index was up 0.26% to 101.64, while the euro decreased 0.37% to $1.0963 against the greenback.

Precious metals were in positive territory, with gold adding 0.66% to $2,034 per ounce and silver rising 0.18% to $25.60.

Oil prices increased around 0.4%, with global benchmark Brent crude at $77.25 per barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate at $73.50.