US stocks close with major losses after PCE figures released

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - US stocks closed with major losses Thursday after the release of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index figures for September.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 378 points, or 0.9%, to finish the day at 41,763.

The S&P 500 was off 108 points, or 1.86% to 5,705. The Nasdaq Composite plummeted 512 points, or 2.76%, to 18,095.

Core PCE price index, the US Federal Reserve's preferred annual inflation indicator, came in at 2.7% in September, according to Commerce Department figures released earlier. The figure was slightly higher than expectations of 2.6%.

The figure increased 0.3% in September, following a 0.2% month-on-month increase in August.

The PCE price index, which includes food and energy prices, rose 2.1% annually in September, after increasing 2.3% in August year-on-year, also coming in line with expectations. That index increased 0.2% in September, following a 0.1% gain in August -- also in line with estimates.

The VIX volatility index, referred to as the "fear index," jumped 12.2% to 22.84. The 10-year US Treasury yield rose 0.45% to 4.285%.

The US dollar index lost 0.1% to 103.93, while the euro rose 0.23% against the dollar, trading at $1.0880.

Precious metals were in negative territory. Gold lost 1.45% to $2,747 per ounce and silver fell 3.2% to $32.69.

Oil prices increased 2.6%, with global benchmark Brent crude at $74.02 per barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate at $70.47.