S&P 500 closes 25 points higher as healthcare offsets AI retreat
Published on 10/15/2026 at 22:43 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSInflation and healthcare shape trading
- The S&P 500 ended October 15 at 7,744 points, up 25 points or 0.3 percent.
- September headline PPI rose 1.3 percent month over month, above the 0.6 percent forecast.
- Moderna rose 6 percent as a cancer-vaccine trial win drove healthcare rotation.
- Import and export prices are due October 16 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
The S&P 500 gained 25 points, or 0.3 percent, to end at 7,744 points on October 15, 2026. Healthcare buying helped the index recover from early losses after headline producer prices rose 1.3 percent month over month, above the 0.6 percent estimate.
Moderna rose 6 percent in afternoon trading after a cancer-vaccine trial win. Reuters said investors shifted from AI-linked stocks into healthcare and consumer companies, including Eli Lilly, UnitedHealth and Walmart.
Why did the S&P 500 recover from early losses?
Wholesale inflation initially reinforced concerns about higher interest rates. Core producer prices rose 0.7 percent month over month, against a 0.3 percent forecast, according to Charles Schwab. The report said the data increased the risk of another Federal Reserve rate hike.
Healthcare leads the S&P 500 rotation
Seven of the 11 S&P 500 sectors rose, led by healthcare, which gained 2.36 percent. Materials advanced 1.42 percent, while technology remained under pressure. Reuters linked the rotation to concern about debt-heavy AI companies.
The index stays near its 2026 high
The S&P 500 remained up 13 percent in 2026 after reaching a record high the previous week, according to Reuters. The session showed a wider market rotation rather than a broad retreat, as defensive and consumer shares offset weakness in technology.
What comes next for the S&P 500
- October 16, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET: US import and export price indexes are scheduled for release, Investing.com reports.
- October 16, 2026, 9:15 a.m. ET: Industrial production and capacity utilization are due, with industrial production forecast at 0.4 percent after 0.0 percent previously, according to OneTrader.
