U.S. stocks edged back from their records Thursday after reports showed inflation was a touch warmer last month than expected and more workers filed for unemployment benefits last week.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2%, and the Dow Jones industrial average dipped 57 points, or 0.1%, after it likewise set an all-time high the day before. The Nasdaq composite edged down by 0.1%.

Stocks had stormed to records in large part on excitement about easing interest rates, now that the Federal Reserve is cutting them as it widens its focus to include keeping the economy humming instead of just fighting high inflation.

Thursday’s report showed inflation slowed to 2.4% in September from 2.5% in August, according to the consumer price index, but economists were expecting an even sharper slowdown to 2.3%.

In the bond market, Treasury yields rose immediately after the release of the economic data.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 4.07%, the level it was at late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, fell to 3.96% from 4.02% late Wednesday.

On Wall Street, Toronto-Dominion fell 5.3% after it agreed to pay $3.09 billion as part of a resolution of U.S. investigations into its compliance programs related to money laundering.

Delta Air Lines lost 1.1% after reporting weaker results for the summer than analysts expected.

Oil prices, meanwhile, rose to claw back their sharp giveback from earlier in the week. A barrel of Brent crude added 3.7% to settle at $79.40. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude gained 3.6% to $75.85.

That helped drive stocks in the energy industry higher, which kept the losses for U.S. stock indexes in check. Exxon Mobil added 0.9% and was one of the strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500, while Valero Energy climbed 2.4%.

All told, the S&P 500 slipped 11.99 points to 5,780.05. The Dow dipped 57.88 to 42,454.12, and the Nasdaq composite lost 9.57 to 18,282.05.

In stock markets abroad, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 3% for its latest sharp swing.

— Associated Press