Stocks soared on Wednesday after a better-than-expected slowdown in the pace of rising consumer prices. The consumer price index, which measures the price of a basket of goods and services, rose 8.5% in July from a year ago, compared with estimates of 8.7% of increase Investors cheered the news, leading many to question whether inflation has peaked and whether the Federal Reserve may in turn raise rates less aggressively. In both June and July, the central bank raised rates by 75 basis points each time to fight inflation. “The market seems to be taking comfort in the fact that we’re apparently past peak inflation, and we should continue to see declines in the second half of the year,” said Brian Price, head of investment management at Commonwealth Financial Network. Others are less sure. Bankrate chief financial analyst Greg McBride wrote in a note, “One in a row isn’t a streak, but it’s a start.” Here are some stocks that could benefit when rates stop rising and if the market continues to rally. To find these “risky” names, CNBC Pro looked for names that were more volatile than the rest of the market (i.e., with a high beta) and that were hurt the most when inflation fears were at their peak, falling month. higher than 20% in the first six months of this year. We also looked for companies where short interest (the percentage of shares freely available for trading that are sold short-term) exceeds 5%. All companies are in the S&P 500. Caesars Entertainment, up nearly 7% on Wednesday, has the highest beta on our screen at 3.1, and 6.4% of its float is shorted . The casino company, which earlier this month reported a lower-than-expected quarterly loss, fell 59% in the first six months of the year. Etsy saw the biggest decline in the first half of the year on CNBC Pro’s screen, falling nearly 67%. Most recently, the stock has been rising since Etsy’s earnings beat analysts’ estimates earlier this month. The online market has a beta of 2.3 and 11% of its shares on the open market are shorted. Shares were trading more than 6% higher on Wednesday. Bath & Body Works also saw its shares tumble in the first half, down 61%. It has a beta of 2.1 and 6.6% of its float is shorted. Last month, the retailer cut its sales and earnings outlook due to the challenging macroeconomic environment. It rose 4% in Wednesday trading. Of course, these actions are risky. If the market rally fails, they could once again be the worst hit on the downside. —CNBC’s Fred Imbert contributed reporting.
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