US stocks slide as hotter inflation fuels rate-hike fears

US equities fell sharply on Tuesday, with technology shares leading the decline, after a hotter-than-expected October inflation report and comments from a key Federal Reserve official raised the prospect of a larger interest-rate increase next ***** S&P 500 slipped 0.7%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 249 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.9%.The Consumer Price Index showed headline inflation rose 0.4% in October, above the 0.3% gain economists had forecast. Core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, increased 0.3%, also exceeding the expected 0.2% rise. Annual inflation figures were not released because of the 2025 government ***** data arrived after Fed Governor Christopher Waller said in a speech that a December rate hike appears likely. He also left open the possibility of a half-point increase if inflationary pressures remain ***** had been hoping for a more gradual path of monetary policy. The combination of firmer price pressures and Waller’s remarks quickly shifted market expectations, triggering selling across rate-sensitive sectors, particularly technology.