Dow Jones Industrial Average recovers footing on Thursday

• The Dow Jones rose 450 points on Thursday as sentiment recovered.
• US GDP figures bolstered investor confidence after printing above expectations.
• US PCE inflation numbers still loom ahead on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) rose 1.1%, or 450 points, on Thursday, buoyed by a forecast beat in US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth numbers in Q2. US Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index (PCE) inflation data, due on Friday, is still the key print of the week. Markets remain confident that the Federal Reserve (Fed) is on pace to kick off a rate-cutting cycle in September.

US Q2 GDP beat forecasts Thursday morning, propping up market sentiment and sending investors back into a bidding stance. Annualized Q2 GDP came in at 3.0% compared to the expected hold at 2.8%, and Initial Jobless Claims also ticked down to 231K for the week ended August 23. Investors had expected a print of 232K compared to the previous week’s revised 233K.

US core PCE inflation on Friday is expected to hold steady MoM and drift slightly higher on an annualized basis. July’s MoM core PCE inflation is forecast to hold at 0.2%, while the YoY figure for July is expected to tick up to 2.7% from the previous 2.6%. A below-expectations print will send markets piling back into hopes for an extended initial cut from the Fed on September 18, while an above-forecast release could send traders scurrying in the face of a potential resurgence in inflation, hobbling the Fed just before a widely-expected cut.

Dow Jones news

A risk-on Thursday has most of the Dow Jones index trading into the green in the back half of the trading week. Only one of the Dow’s listed securities are in the red for the day, with Home Depot (HD) shedding around one-fifth of one percent to trade below $370.00 per share.

Nvidia’s (NVDA) after-hours earnings call this week failed to jump-start tech-keen investors. Nvidia reported less-than-expected growth in earnings, with an overall uptick in profit failing to meet sky-high expectations set by runaway investors.

Dow Jones price forecast

The Dow Jones is back over 41,300 on Thursday after a brief midweek dip below the 41,000 handle. The index took a breather on Wednesday, but it has tilted back into the bullish side as daily candles continue to test chart paper near record highs set at the beginning of the trading week.

Traders hoping to capitalize on a bearish pullback run the risk of underestimating bullish market pressure, but risk-takers will be looking for signs of a technical breakdown to jump on the short train. Immediate technical targets are floating near the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) just above the 40,000 major price handle.

Dow Jones daily chart