It’s All About the Fed! Financial Markets Once again, as investors have repeatedly shown, it’s all about the Fed.  After a remarkably strong stretch, last week’s returns were just the opposite.  The Dow fell 1.96%, the S&P 500 fell 1.16%, and the NASDAQ fell 0.92%.  The main cause of the reversal was the Federal Reserve…

The Markets Cool and it’s a Changing World Financial Markets United States equity markets cooled from the strong gains seen over the past five weeks.  The Dow ended the week down 1.67%, the S&P 500 closed down 1.39%, and the NASDAQ closed down 1.44%.  The biggest losers were the Real Estate, Energy, Utilities, and Financials…

Five Weeks of Market Gains Financial Markets Friday’s close marked the fifth consecutive week of gains for the S&P 500 and NASDAQ indices and the third straight for the Dow.  The Dow rose 1.25%, the S&P 500 rose 2.58%, and the NASDAQ rose 3.25%.  All in all, it was an excellent week for the equity…

It Passed! Financial Markets Investors were highly relieved when the debt ceiling agreement finally passed Congress.  While most experienced analysts expected an eventual resolution, cutting it so close to the “X date” was harrowing nonetheless. The financial markets began to rally as the passage of the bill became more assured.  The Dow finished the week…

A Changing World Financial Markets United States equity markets have remained in a trading range for some time.   Part of the reason is investors are being asked to analyze not just the normal economic and investment cycle but a host of political and global issues as well.  This past week the Dow closed up 0.38%,…

A Well Deserved State of Confusion Financial Markets United States equity markets closed mixed on Friday, with both the Dow and the S&P 500 falling for the second straight week.  The Dow fell 1.11%, the S&P 500 fell 0.29% and the NASDAQ rose 0.40%.  This is the 6th week in a row where the S&P…

A Confused Market! Financial Markets Equity markets were buffeted this past week, as investors had conflicting reactions to major news events.  The Dow fell 1.24%, the S&P 500 fell 0.80%, and the NASDAQ gained 0.10%.  While the weekly returns look somewhat immaterial, they don’t adequately capture the day-to-day volatility that occurred.  Investors spent the first…

Yes, Biden is running! Financial Markets In a market that dislikes uncertainty, investors now know one more piece of information—the President is running for a second term, and he is sticking with his vice president.  This may not be a market moving announcement, but it is certainly one investors care about. Although a bit volatile,…

Investors Remain Cautious Financial Markets Investors were cautious last week as earnings season ramped up and more companies reported.  Recognizing that market movements reflect the accumulated knowledge and fears of the investing public, this past week seemed to indicate a concern about future earnings.  Equity markets ended the week in the red.  The Dow fell…

Banks, Earnings, the Fed, and the Dollar Financial Markets U.S. equity markets closed an unexciting week with gains. The Dow closed up 1.20%, the S&P 500 gained 0.79%, while the NASDAQ gained 0.29%. Market participants were clearly focused on bank earnings, and, thus far, the takeaway has been so far so good. The focus for…