US Stock Market Crash Today: The US stock market took a sharp hit on Tuesday as investors faced a troubling wave of economic data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 307 points, the S&P 500 slid 46 points, and the Nasdaq dropped nearly 1% — all in a single session. The trigger was clear and painful: US CPI inflation climbed to 3.8% year-over-year in April, its highest reading since May 2023. That single number cracked investor confidence like a fault line splitting open under pressure. Markets had spent weeks pricing in a soft landing. Tuesday reminded everyone that inflation doesn't ask for permission to come back.
The Consumer Price Index report for April showed headline inflation rising 0.6% from March alone — the kind of monthly jump that, if sustained, puts the Federal Reserve in an impossible position. Core inflation, which strips out food and energy, came in at 2.8% annually and 0.4% monthly, both above consensus forecasts. These numbers don't exist in a vacuum.
