NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock indexes all closed higher on Thursday despite a sharp sell-off in various AI stocks, including Nvidia. The DowJones surged more than 500 points despite a key inflation measure bringing bad news, just ahead of the midterm elections.

The Producer Price Index for September surged 1.3 percent, and 6.3 percent on an annualized basis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a statement Wednesday. The numbers were much higher than expected and were the highest prints in four years. 

"Today's PPI report, after Wednesday's CPI, confirms inflation is getting worse as energy prices stay high," David Russell, global head of market strategy at TradeStation told CNBC Thursday. "Election or no election, prices are rising, and the Fed might be forced to act," he said.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 556.21 points, or 1.08 percent, to 52,177.69. The index moved between 51,681.37 and 52,250.18 during the session, within a 52-week range of 45,057.28 to 54,744.33. Volume reached 496.262 million shares.

The Standard and Poor's 500 added 25.12 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 7,744.06, after trading between 7,669.66 and 7,754.15. The broad index's 52-week range stands at 6,316.91 to 7,844.52, on volume of 3.395 billion shares.

The NASDAQ Composite lagged its peers but still finished in positive territory, gaining 20.16 points, or 0.08 percent, to 26,713.03. The technology-heavy index traded between 26,308.85 and 26,754.02 on the day, against a 52-week range of 20,690.25 to 27,722.75, with volume of 9.517 billion shares.

The session's tone favored value and cyclical names over growth, as reflected in the Dow's outperformance relative to the NASDAQ. All three major indexes closed higher, though the modest NASDAQ gain underscored the more cautious sentiment toward technology shares.

U.S. Dollar Slides Against Most Major Currencies Thursday, but Gains Against Aussie and Loonie

The U.S. dollar lost ground against most major currencies in foreign exchange trading on Thursday, though it weakened against the Australian and Canadian dollars, which were the standout losers of the session. 

The euro rose 0.50 percent against the greenback, with EUR-USD changing hands at 1.1213. The move reflected continued volatility for the dollar as traders positioned for a period of uncertainty over surging inflation.

The dollar also weakened against the Japanese yen, with USD-JPY down 0.14 percent at 158.11. The pair's grind lower kept it within striking distance of levels that have previously drawn official attention in Tokyo.

Sterling was stronger on the day, with GBP-USD up 0.61 percent at 1.3274, as the pound gained against a broadly weaker U.S. dollar.

The two exceptions to the dollar's weakness were the commodity-linked currencies. The Australian dollar tumbled 0.75 percent, with AUD-USD at 0.6920, while the Canadian dollar slid 0.35 percent, with USD-CAD at 1.4188. B

The Swiss franc was among the strongerer performers, with USD-CHF up 0.93 percent at 0.8271, as the safe-haven currency gained ground amid the broader dollar bid.

The session's pattern left the weaker stronger against four of the six major pairs quoted, with the euro, yen, pound and franc all in demand, while the Aussie and loonie bucked the trend. 

Global Stock Markets End Mostly Lower Thursday as Asian Tech Selloff Offsets UK, and European Gains

World stock markets closed mixed on Thursday, with sharp declines across Asia-Pacific benchmarks overshadowing solid gains in Canada and modest advances in Europe, as investors weighed a steep selloff in technology shares against signs of resilience in several Western indexes.

The S&P/TSX Composite index in Toronto led the gainers, climbing 552.64 points, or 1.55 percent, to close at 36,137.10. The benchmark Canadian index traded between a low of 35,456.73 and a high of 36,142.99 on the day, against a 52-week range of 29,530.90 to 37,069.10. Volume was 290.861 million shares.

The FTSE 100 in London rose 115.49 points, or 1.08 percent, to close at 10,840.35. The index traded between a low of 10,695.84 and a high of 10,868.53 on the day, against a 52-week range of 9,276.90 to 10,989.50.

In Germany, the DAX P added 84.01 points, or 0.33 percent, to finish at 25,382.62, with a daily range of 25,133.71 to 25,420.62 and a yearly range of 21,863.81 to 26,618.74. France's CAC 40 gained 61.59 points, or 0.78 percent, to end at 7,934.70, after trading between 7,853.40 and 7,937.29. Its 52-week range stands at 7,505.27 to 8,755.03.

The broader EURO STOXX 50 I slipped 22.11 points, or 0.36 percent, to 6,168.26, moving between 6,119.49 and 6,175.92 on the day, within a yearly range of 5,376.81 to 6,577.20. The Euronext 100 Index shed 4.78 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 1,862.72, after trading between 1,848.14 and 1,866.42, against a 52-week range of 1,658.14 to 1,984.60. Belgium's BEL 20 bucked the softer tone, rising 45.16 points, or 0.81 percent, to 5,591.77, with a daily range of 5,540.72 to 5,612.18 and a yearly range of 4,774.82 to 5,905.83.

Asia was the main source of weakness. In mainland China, the SSE Composite Index fell 59.75 points, or 1.59 percent, to 3,707.48 on volume of 3.772 billion. The index traded between 3,674.82 and 3,724.56, within a 52-week range of 3,674.82 to 4,258.86.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 posted one of the largest drops, falling 3,318.35 points, or 4.90 percent, to 64,425.95. The index moved between 64,092.74 and 66,929.30 on the day, against a 52-week range of 47,494.31 to 72,831.73.

Hong Kong's HANG SENG INDEX fell 251.45 points, or 1.03 percent, to 24,062.72, after trading between 23,945.84 and 24,162.71, well within its 52-week range of 22,518.00 to 28,056.10.

In Singapore on Thursday, the STI Index lost 19.83 points, or 0.37 percent, to close at 5,403.50, moving between 5,362.72 and 5,411.60 on the day, against a yearly range of 4,311.65 to 5,828.50.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 [XJO] edged down 8.20 points, or 0.09 percent, to 8,719.70, with a daily range of 8,641.10 to 8,735.90 and a 52-week range of 8,262.40 to 9,296.70. The ALL ORDINARIES [XAO] fell 28.60 points, or 0.32 percent, to 8,840.40, trading between 8,771.20 and 8,869.00, within a yearly range of 8,454.90 to 9,474.80.

New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 INDEX GROSS rose 72.40 points, or 0.53 percent, to 13,832.80, trading between 13,676.41 and its close of 13,832.80, within a yearly range of 12,689.78 to 14,069.22.

In India, the S&P BSE SENSEX was a notable gainer in the region, surging 1,533.72 points, or 2.11 percent, to 74,315.61. The index traded between 72,896.38 and 74,330.29 on the day, against a 52-week range of 71,292.88 to 86,159.02.

Elsewhere in Asia, Indonesia's IDX COMPOSITE dropped 79.24 points, or 1.33 percent, to 5,863.78, after moving between 5,804.21 and 5,917.70, within a yearly range of 5,317.91 to 9,174.47. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI declined 4.02 points, or 0.25 percent, to 1,623.70, with a daily range of 1,617.14 to 1,625.61 and a 52-week range of 1,597.68 to 1,771.25.

South Korea's KOSPI Composite Index suffered the day's sharpest decline, plunging 454.59 points, or 7.57 percent, to 5,554.22. The index's 52-week range runs from 0.00 to 9,385.59, reflecting limited comparative data.

In Taiwan Thursday, theTSEC CAPITALIZATION WEIGHTED ST tumbled 1,655.93 points, or 3.41 percent, to 46,969.87, after trading between 46,795.38 and 48,382.75, against a yearly range of 26,395.98 to 49,968.92.

In the Middle East, Israel's TA-125 slipped 2.92 points, or 0.07 percent, to 4,022.23, moving between 3,986.29 and 4,041.49 on the day, within a 52-week range of 3,231.95 to 4,588.51.

In Egypt, the EGX 30 Price Return Index climbed 780.50 points, or 1.52 percent, to 52,273.30 on volume of 198.082 million. The index traded between 51,231.60 and 52,277.20, matching its 52-week high and low over the period.

In Africa, South Africa's Top 40 USD Net TRI Index advanced 162.40 points, or 2.50 percent, to 6,663.57, with a daily range of 6,524.32 to 6,663.73 and a yearly range of 6,105.70 to 8,184.71. The Global Private Equity index slipped 39.45 points, or 0.39 percent, to 9,999.72, against a 52-week range of 9,307.19 to 10,180.81.

The session underscored a widening divergence between Canadian, UK and European markets, which largely held their ground, and Asian bourses, where technology-heavy indexes in Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo bore the brunt of selling pressure.

(This report incorporates quotes retrieved with the assistance of artificial intelligence).

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