Weekly Market Insights 04.22.24
Markets in Retreat Equity Markets United States equity markets struggled this past week, with the S&P 500 falling for the third week in a row and suffering its worst week since March of 2023. Unlike the week before, markets did not try to make a comeback on the final trading day of the week. The…
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights 04.15.24
Inflation, the Fed, and Interest Rates Financial Markets United States equity markets were hit hard this past week, driven by fears that persistent inflation remains a very real threat. Leading into the weekend, there were also concerns about Iran entering the fray in the Middle East which turned out to be correct. The S&P 500…
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights 04.08.24
An Odd Week! Financial Markets Both equity and fixed income markets were quite volatile this past week, each reacting to the same economic releases. The Dow ended the week down 2.27%, the S&P 500 down 0.95%, and the NASDAQ down 0.80%. The ending results don’t adequately portray the daily volatility that occurred throughout the week. …
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights 03.25.24
Momentum Ruled the Week Financial Markets Momentum players ruled the roost this past week. That is, those stocks that have been the big gainers were again the star players. U.S. markets had their best week in three months. The S&P 500 gained 2.29%, the Dow gained 1.97%, while the NASDAQ gained 2.85%. A remarkable week…
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights 03.11.24
Are We Seeing the Long-Awaited Rotation? Financial Markets United States equity markets took a pause from their remarkable run this past week. The Dow Industrials closed the week down 0.93%, the S&P 500 closed down 0.26%, while the NASDAQ ended the week down 1.17%. Last week’s pause makes sense given some of the comments we…
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights 03.04.24
All Appears Fine, Except Doubts Remain Financial Markets Having just returned from two weeks of vacation, it was a pleasant surprise to see how well the markets did. Over the past two weeks, the Dow rose 1.19%, the S&P gained 2.63%, and the NASDAQ gained 3.16%. Despite the much publicized consumer pessimism, United States equity…
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights 02.12.24
Markets are at Record Levels, Economy is Looking Fine, Consumers Remain Unsure Financial Markets United States equity markets continued on their remarkable bull run this past week. The S&P 500 closed Friday’s session at 5,027, up 1.37%, marking the fourteenth time in fifteen weeks that the index closed higher. Remarkably, this is the first time…
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights 02.05.25
Equity Markets Rally, Bonds Slump Financial Markets Equity markets rallied while bond markets slumped on essentially the same news—just as the textbooks would tell us. The Dow Industrials increased by 1.43%, the S&P 500 by 1.38%, and the NASDAQ by 1.12%. The big differentiator between those indexes was, of course, their exposure, or lack thereof,…
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights 01.29.24
All Eyes on the Fed! Financial Markets Financial markets continued on a positive trajectory this past week, with equities again reaching new all-time highs. The Dow increased by 0.65%, the S&P 500 by 1.06%, and the NASDAQ by 0.94%. Investor confidence is centered on expectations that the Fed will cut rates this year, potentially as…
Read MoreWeekly Market Insights 01.22.24
Inflation Fears Recede! Financial Markets United States Equity markets closed the week in record territory. The S&P 500 ended up 1.17%, the Dow Industrials up 0.72%, while the NASDAQ closed up 2.26%. We are in the beginning of earnings season, and, although earnings have been alright, CEO’s have been muted in discussing prospects for the…
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