What Happened?
A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report came in softer than anticipated, fueling investor optimism for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that prices rose 0.2% from December to January, below the 0.3% forecast. On an annual basis, inflation moderated to 2.4%, under the expected 2.5%. This cooling trend has significant implications for monetary policy, with investors now increasing bets on multiple rate reductions by the end of the year. The news prompted a rally in both stocks and Treasuries, as lower interest rates typically reduce borrowing costs for companies and can stimulate economic activity. The Russell 2000 index, which consists of smaller companies sensitive to domestic economic conditions and financial costs, saw a particularly strong positive reaction.
The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.
Among others, the following stocks were impacted:
- Specialized Technology company PAR Technology (NYSE:PAR) jumped 3.3%. Is now the time to buy PAR Technology? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- IT Distribution & Solutions company Ingram Micro (NYSE:INGM) jumped 2.9%. Is now the time to buy Ingram Micro? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- Industrial & Environmental Services company ABM (NYSE:ABM) jumped 2.6%. Is now the time to buy ABM? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- Asset Management & Auction Services company Copart (NASDAQ:CPRT) jumped 2.6%. Is now the time to buy Copart? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
- IT Distribution & Solutions company TD SYNNEX (NYSE:SNX) jumped 3%. Is now the time to buy TD SYNNEX? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
Zooming In On PAR Technology (PAR)
PAR Technology’s shares are very volatile and have had 28 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The biggest move we wrote about over the last year was 3 months ago when the stock gained 12.9% on the news that the company reported strong third-quarter 2025 financial results that surpassed analyst expectations.
The restaurant technology provider announced revenue of $119.2 million, up 23.2% year-on-year, which beat Wall Street estimates. More impressively, the company posted an adjusted profit of $0.06 per share, a significant surprise to analysts who had forecast a loss. While its Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), a key metric for subscription businesses, slightly missed expectations, investors clearly focused on the strong revenue growth and the unexpected swing to profitability. The positive results demonstrated accelerating demand and improving operational leverage for the company's restaurant software and hardware solutions.
PAR Technology is down 41.8% since the beginning of the year, and at $20.81 per share, it is trading 70.8% below its 52-week high of $71.23 from July 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of PAR Technology’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $249.40.
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