US Stocks Pinned by Hot PPI, But a Touch Less Rough Than Before

Right now the S&P 500 sits at 7,604.10 (-0.42%) and the Nasdaq at 26,139.06 (-0.44%) as we head into the back half of the session, though the drop has eased a bit since my last check-in (S&P +0.11pt, Nasdaq +0.26pt). August producer prices came in hotter than expected overnight and oil pushed past $105, and that combo is stoking fears the Fed might hike again — it's what's been dragging the Nasdaq down for a fourth straight session. Clean energy and semis are holding their ground while materials and biotech are getting knocked around, a different vibe than last night's Kospi dip and Kosdaq bump back home. My positions sit right where they were — Duksan Neolux -7.8%, Poongsan +10.0%, KT&G -2.9%, Samsung Electronics +7.0%. With four or five hours left before the close, I'm watching whether this inflation-and-oil pressure keeps building or settles around here.