The S&P 500 Index added to an impressive first quarter return by posting a 2.1% return in the first week of 2019’s second quarter. Economic and trade optimism buoyed equity markets. Later this week, the first quarter earnings season kicks off with major banks J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and PNC announcing their quarterly …
In Like a Lion and Out Like a Lamb
The S&P 500 closed out its best first quarter since 2009. The quarter came in like a lion and went out like a lamb. The giant January rebound (+8.0%) stepped down to more normal returns in February (+3.2%) and March (+1.9%). The quarterly gain almost erased the steep decline from the fourth quarter of …
Upbeat Week Heading into Next Fed Meeting
The 2.9% move in the S&P 500 Index this past week erased the previous week’s 2.0% decline. The market shrugged off global economic worries and posted its best single week since last November. The U.S.-China trade meter shifted back to optimism this week. Oil continued its advance as well. WTI Crude was +4.4% for the …
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Looking Back Ten Years
The stock market bottomed 10-years ago on March 9, 2009, signaling the beginning of a recovery from the financial crisis. Since that time, the S&P 500 Index has achieved a 400% total return, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has achieved a 402% total return, and the NASDAQ 100 has achieved a 650% total return. If …
Wrapping up Earnings and Focusing on Economic Data
The S&P 500 Index advanced 0.4% last week, its fifth consecutive weekly increase. Crude oil fell 2.5% for the week. As we near the end of the quarterly earnings season, much of the fundamental news from reporting companies is out and speculation on how current macro and industry data may impact earnings for first quarter …
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Extending the U.S. – China Trade Deadline
US-China trade expiration is getting an extension until after Trump and Xi meet later in March. Chinese vice premier Liu He has been in Washington for negotiations all week and into the weekend. Both sides seem eager to do something constructive, but it looks like nothing will be finalized until later in March. This stops …
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