Stocks ended mixed after an uneven day of trading and bond yields fell broadly after the government reported that a measure of inflation that's closely watched by the Federal Reserve eased in October.

The S&P 500 ended 0.1% lower Thursday. The benchmark index is coming off its second straight monthly gain.

A day earlier, markets rallied after Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated the central bank could dial back the pace of its interest rate increases.

The Fed has been deliberately slowing the economy in order to tame stubbornly hot inflation.

Salesforce slumped after its co-CEO said he would resign.