Why did Wall St end sharply higher on Wednesday? | Kalkine Media US stocks ended with strong gains on Wednesday. Investors were optimistic ahead of an inflation report that could give the Federal Reserve room to dial back on its aggressive interest rate hikes. The Dow rose eight tenths of a percent. The S&P 500 jumped more than a percent and a quarter, while the Nasdaq gained a percent and three quarters. The much-anticipated CPI report due on Thursday is projected by economists polled by Reuters to show US consumer prices likely grew 6.5% in December, down from a 7.1% rise in November.