by Chuck Mikolajczak
Reuters.com
NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Reuters) – U.S. stocks surged on Wednesday, with all three major indexes registering their biggest daily percentage gains in more than two months, as lower-than-expected December core inflation data and solid earnings from major U.S. banks fueled a rally.
The Labor Department said the consumer price index (CPI) increased the most in nine months as energy costs rose, although a measure of underlying inflation pressures subsided.
Data on Tuesday showed the producer price index (PPI) rose less than expected.
“We’ve gotten so puckered over the fact that rates might be going up and this is going to be a problem and the UK won’t be able to borrow money and oh, our deficit, and so everyone was kind of wound up,” said Stephen Massocca, senior vice president at Wedbush Securities in San Francisco.