Update: Equities Mostly Higher as Investors Parse Retail Sales, Wholesale Prices Data

12:38 PM EDT, 10/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with latest market prices and developments.) US benchmark equity indexes were mostly higher intraday as Wall Street weighed a strong retail spending report and hot wholesale inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8% at 52,036.1 intraday Thursday, while the S&P 500 edged up 0.1% to 7,726.2. The Nasdaq Composite declined 0.3% to 26,598.4. Among sectors, energy led the laggards, while healthcare paced the gainers. In economic news, US retail sales growth exceeded expectations in September as outlays at gas stations increased amid elevated fuel prices. "The pace of spending is likely to cool over the coming quarters as households face a growing number of headwinds, like soft real income growth, a low and declining saving rate, high energy costs and elevated interest rates," TD Economics said in a note. US producer prices jumped at the fastest pace in more than four years in September amid a surge in energy costs, official data showed Thursday. The probability of the US central bank hiking rates by 25 basis points later in October fell to 29% on Thursday from 33% on Wednesday, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Markets are pricing in a 71% probability that the benchmark rate will be kept steady, up from 67%. Treasury yields were lower intraday, with the two-year rate down 3.8 basis points at 4.76% and the 10-year rate falling 9.7 basis points to 5.09%. In corporate news, Charles Schwab (SCHW) reported third-quarter revenue just below Wall Street's estimates and expected its full-year topline to grow at the lower end of its previously issued guidance. Shares of the company were down 2.8%. PNC Financial Services (PNC), US Bancorp (USB), and First Horizon (FHN) posted third-quarter adjusted earnings per share ahead of analysts' expectations, even as net interest income fell short of Street's views. Shares of PNC fell 0.3% while US Bancorp and First Horizon climbed 1.3% and 1.7%, respectively. Penske Automotive (PAG) has agreed to be taken private by Penske and Mitsui, its two largest shareholders, in a merger deal that values the diversified transportation services company at about $16.3 billion. Shares of Penske Automotive jumped 8.5%. West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained 2.6% to $97.55 a barrel, while Brent edged down 0.1% to $105.94. Spot gold rose 1.1% to $4,149.74 per troy ounce, while silver increased 2.3% to $57.16 per ounce.