Higher for Longer

September 25, 2023

  The Federal Reserve refrained from raising short-term interest rates last week, but revisions in the Summary of Economic Projections that pointed to a “higher for longer” scenario weighed on stocks. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was -2.9%, the Dow was -1.9%, and the NASDAQ was -3.3%. All eleven S&P sectors were …

Energy Jolt

September 18, 2023

  Stocks were mixed last week. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was -0.1%, the Dow was +0.1%, and the NASDAQ was -0.5%. The Utility, Consumer Discretionary, and Financial sectors led the market. The Technology, Industrial, and Materials sectors lagged. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield increased to 4.322% at Friday’s close versus …

Joseph Sroka Speaking at Marcus Evans Private Wealth Management Summit – Sept 18th

September 14, 2023

  On Monday, September 18th, NovaPoint’s chief investment officer, Joseph Sroka, CFA, CMT will be speaking at the Marcus Evans Private Wealth Management Summit in Dallas, Texas. Joe will be a participant on the summit’s panel, “Portfolio Repositioning: Examining How Investors are Factoring in Monetary Policy, Inflation, and Rising Interest Rates”, with several other investment …

Back to Business

September 11, 2023

  Stocks declined during the holiday-shorted week. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was -1.3%, the Dow was -0.7%, and the NASDAQ was -1.4%. The Energy and Utility sectors posted gains for the week. All other sectors were negative, led by the Industrial, Materials and Technology sectors. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield …

Larry Dixon Achieves Enrolled Agent Designation from the IRS

September 6, 2023

The NovaPoint Group is proud to announce that Larry Dixon has earned the prestigious Enrolled Agent (EA) designation from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). An Enrolled Agent is a federally authorized tax practitioner with technical expertise in the field of taxation. They are empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before …

Bad News is Good News

September 5, 2023

  Stocks gained last week after a downward revision to second quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and a moderating job market report. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +2.5%, the Dow was +1.6%, and the NASDAQ was +3.7%. The Technology, Materials, and Energy sectors led the market. The Utilities and Consumer …

Holding the Line

August 28, 2023

  Stocks were mixed last week as the corporate earnings season winds down and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell held the line on being steadfast on inflation in his remarks at Jackson Hole. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +0.8%, the Dow was -0.4%, and the NASDAQ was +1.7%. The Technology and Consumer …

China Concerns

August 21, 2023

  Rising bond yields in the U.S. and concern of contagion from a weakening Chinese economy sent stocks lower last week. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was -2.1%, the Dow was -2.1%, and the NASDAQ was -2.2%. All sectors in the S&P 500 Index declined. The Technology and Energy sectors declined the …

Joseph Sroka speaking at Private Wealth Central States Forum – August 23rd

August 15, 2023

  On Wednesday, August 23rd, NovaPoint’s chief investment officer, Joseph Sroka, CFA, CMT will be speaking at Markets Group’s Private Wealth Central States Forum in Nashville. Joe will be a panelist on the forum’s Opening Bell panel, “The Next 12 Months at a Glance,” with several other investment professionals. The Private Wealth Central States Forum …

Summer Daze

August 14, 2023

  Temperatures remain warm but stocks have cooled recently with the S&P 500 Index’s first back-to-back weekly decline since early May. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was -0.3%, the Dow was +0.7%, and the NASDAQ was -1.3%. Within the S&P 500, the Energy, Healthcare, and Utility sectors led the market for the …