Review & Preview: Hold Please?

A softer inflation report that was in line with expectations helped boost stocks today, but overall, it was another fairly uneventful session after a quiet start to the week. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite finished up 0.5% today. Outside of the cooler inflation reading this morning, artificial intelligence stocks like Super Micro Computer and Lumentum helped drive stocks higher today, particularly in the Nasdaq, after turning in earnings performances that smashed expectations.