Stocks ticked higher Thursday after a weaker-than-expected inflation report and strong earnings from entertainment giant Disney (NYSE: DIS) helped improve market sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 50 points, while the S&P 500 settled at a positive flatline and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.12%.
Here's how the market settled on Thursday:
S&P 500 Index (NYSE: SPY): +0.03% or +1.12 points to 4,468.83
Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA): +0.15% or +52.79 points to 35,176.15
Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: QQQ): +0.12% or +15.97 points to 13,737.99
Driving market moves, July's consumer price index rose 3.2% on an annual basis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday, coming in slightly below expectations. When compared with June, prices rose in-line with estimates at 0.2%. Excluding more volatile food and energy prices, core CPR rose 0.2% for the month and 4.8% year-over-year.
While the figures continue to decelerate month-to-month, annual inflation is still above the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%, signaling that the central bank will continue to maintain a more hawkish stance in effort to stabilize prices as the economy still show signs of strength.
Disney (NYSE: DIS) was also a bright spot on Thursday, with the media company posting mixed earnings results and announcing plans to raise subscription prices for its commercial-free tier. The company also posted softer-than-expected subscriber numbers, reporting 146.1 million subscribers versus the 151.1 million expected.
"Moving forward, I believe three businesses will drive the greatest growth and value creation over the next five years," CEO Bob Iger said during the company's earnings call. "They are our film studios, our parks business and streaming, all of which are inextricably linked to our brands and franchises."
Disney also announced plans to raise monthly dues to $13.99 for its ad-free Disney+ offering starting Oct. 12. This increase will increase the cost of its ad-free Hulu subscription as well.
"While we are cautious on the media landscape overall due to streaming losses, linear sub declines, and advertising headwinds, Disney is our favorite name among the group due to the company's strong asset mix and what we expect to be a rapid decline in streaming losses in the next year," wrote JPMorgan's Philip Cusick in a note on Thursday.
Elsewhere, initial jobless claims rose by a more-than-expected 248,000 for the week ended August 5, the Labor Department reported on Thursday, increasing by 21,000 week-over-week. Continuing claims ticked lower to 1.684 million.
In single-stock news, Capri (NYSE: CPRI) shares popped more than 55% after luxury company Tapestry (NYSE: TPR) announced Thursday it will acquire the company in a roughly $8.5 billion deal. Capri owns the brands Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo.
"The combination of Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman together with Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors creates a new powerful global luxury house, unlocking a unique opportunity to drive enhanced value for our consumers, employees, communities, and shareholders around the world," Tapestry CEO Joanne Crevoiserat said in a statement.
Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) raised its full-year outlook on Thursday after the Danish pharmaceutical company reported a 30% increase in sales for the first half of this year. The company's diabetes and obesity division was among its best performing segments, driven by demand for its Wegovy and Ozempic injections.
For the year, Novo now expects sales growth of 27% to 33% and operating profit growth of 31% to 37% at constant exchange rates.
Looking ahead, market participants will weigh readings on producer prices and consumer sentiment Friday morning.
This article has finished updating.