US stocks extended gains on the 15th as investors welcomed economic data pointing to easing inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 150.37 points to 52,658.64, the S&P 500 added 28.81 points to 7,572.40, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 162.22 points to 26,269.23. In the New York foreign exchange market, the yen initially strengthened against the dollar on the back of lower long-term US interest rates, before paring gains late in the session. The dollar traded at 162.15 to 162.25 yen, a decline of 0.07 yen from the previous day's close. In the US Treasury market, bonds rallied after inflation data came in below market expectations, pushing the 10-year yield down 0.04 percentage point to 4.55 percent and the 2-year yield down 0.06 percentage point to 4.14 percent. New York crude oil futures rose for a third straight session on supply concerns amid heightened Middle East tensions, with the front-month August West Texas Intermediate contract settling 26 cents higher at 79.60 dollars a barrel, its highest level in about a month since mid-June. Meanwhile, gold futures fell, with the front-month August contract dropping 17.90 dollars to 4,051.80 dollars an ounce.