US Stocks Rise as Inflation Cools, Oil Prices Decline

US stock markets ended August 12 on a positive note after the release of July's inflation data, which showed a slight cooling in price growth. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.4% year-over-year, down from 3.5% in June and matching market expectations.

The Nasdaq Composite outperformed the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500, gaining 0.4%. Technology stocks are particularly sensitive to interest-rate expectations, and lower Treasury yields can boost their value as investors assign more worth to future profits.

Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 2.5% from a year earlier, down from 2.6% in June. This result is important for financial markets, as it's seen as a better indicator of persistent domestic inflation.