In sector news, Peapack-Gladstone Financial ( PGC ), parent company of Peapack-Gladstone Bank, said on Thursday it would buy Fairfield, NJ-based Quadrant Capital Management for an undisclosed amount, adding the purchase would be immediately accretive to earnings. Broader market equities were mostly higher, as Wall Street's attention turned to the release of key economic data on Friday. Investors are also focusing on the August CPI reading - which showed consumer prices increased 0.4% from the prior month - and what this might mean for the Federal Reserve's plans for interest rate.