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US Equity Markets End Higher After Lower-Than-Expected Core Producer Price Inflation, US-Iran Agreement Progress

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US equity indexes were higher on Wednesday after core producer price inflation grew less than forecast, and President Donald Trump said the US and Iran are about to sign a peace agreement following threats of bombing Iran in the evening.

* Core producer price index, which excludes the more volatile food and energy prices, increased by 0.4% in May, slower than the 0.5% gain expected in a Bloomberg-compiled poll.

* President Trump said in a Truth Social Post, "Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others."

* July West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell $3.76 to settle at $86.27 per barrel, while August Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $4.24 at $88.86.

* Applied Materials (AMAT) shares were up roughly 11%, among the top gainers on the Nasdaq and S&P 500, after the company expanded manufacturing and research & development operations in Singapore with a $500 million facility in Tampines to support AI-driven semiconductor demand.

* Oracle (ORCL) shares were down about 8.5%, the worst performer on the S&P 500, after the company said it plans to raise about $40 billion via debt and equity issuances in fiscal 2027, including its previously announced $20 billion stock sale.

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