Year-End Spend

November 27, 2023

  Equities maintained their upward movement during the holiday shortened week. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +1.0%, the Dow was +1.3%, and the NASDAQ was +0.9%. All eleven sectors in the S&P 500 Index were positive for the week led by the Health Care, Consumer Staples, and Communication Services sectors. The …

Cooling

November 20, 2023

  Cooling inflation reports combined with a cooling job market data from earlier in the month has sustained the recent equity rally. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +2.3%, the Dow was +2.1%, and the NASDAQ was +2.0%. All eleven sectors in the S&P 500 Index were positive for the week led …

Bounce Back

November 6, 2023

  A pause on interest rates at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting followed by a tame employment report helped stocks rally from an oversold condition last week. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +5.9%, the Dow was +5.1%, and the NASDAQ was +6.5%. All eleven S&P 500 sectors were positive …

Don’t Get Spooked

October 30, 2023

  Mixed earnings from the mega cap Technology and Communications Services companies and on-going concerns of events in the Middle East sent equity markets down last week. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was -2.5%, the Dow was -2.1%, and the NASDAQ was -2.6%. The Utility sector was the only sector with a …

Earnings Watch

October 23, 2023

  Concerns over widening violence in the Middle East pressured financials markets last week. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was -2.4%, the Dow was -1.6%, and the NASDAQ was -2.9%. The Energy sector was the only sector with a positive return for the week. The bottom performing sectors were Health Care, Materials, …

Higher Hiring

October 9, 2023

  The September Employment report pointed to a still strong economy and sparked a market rally on Friday. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +0.5%, the Dow was -0.2%, and the NASDAQ was +1.8%. The Technology, Communication Services, and Health Care sectors led the market, while the Energy, Consumer Staples, and Utilities …

team-pic-1

Alan Conner Speaking at Private Wealth Carolinas Forum – October 4th

October 2, 2023

  On Wednesday, October 4th, NovaPoint’s president , Alan Conner will be speaking at the Markets Group Private Wealth Carolinas Forum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Alan will be a participant on the forum’s panel, “Fixed Income: Trends Shaping Today’s Landscape”,  with several other investment professionals. The Private Wealth Carolinas Forum is the leading conference for …

Open Government

October 2, 2023

  The U.S. government avoided an October 1st shutdown but legislators were only able to agree on a 45-day extension. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was -0.7%, the Dow was -1.3%, and the NASDAQ was +0.1%. The Energy, Materials, and Consumer Discretionary sectors were the only positive sectors in the S&P 500 …

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 …