US equities closed sharply higher in Wednesday trading, with the Dow Jones, S&P500, and Nasdaq finishing up 165bps, 183bps, and 245bps respectively, in the wake of a softer-than-feared December core CPI reading. Bank earnings were another bright spot with better 2025 net interest income guidance the big takeaway. Fed's latest Beige Book noted slight to modest economic growth across districts, with more contacts optimistic about 2025 than pessimistic.