Hello Summer

May 20, 2024

  Stocks advanced to new highs last week. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +1.6%, the Dow was +1.3%, and the NASDAQ was +2.2%. Within the S&P 500 Index, the Technology, Real Estate, and Health Care sectors led the advance, while the Industrial, Consumer Discretionary, and Materials sectors lagged. The 10-year U.S. Treasury …

Bouncing Back

May 13, 2024

  Stocks advanced in a week with little major data to sway sentiment. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +1.9%, the Dow was +2.2%, and the NASDAQ was +1.5%. Within the S&P 500 Index, the Utility, Financial, and Materials sectors led the advance, while the Consumer Discretionary, Energy, and Technology sectors lagged. The …

Cool Jobs

May 6, 2024

  A steady Federal Reserve and a moderating labor market helped stocks rise for a second consecutive week. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +0.6%, the Dow was +1.1%, and the NASDAQ was +1.0%. Within the S&P 500 Index, the Utility, Real Estate, and Technology sectors led the advance, while the Energy, Financials, …

Fundamental Victory

April 29, 2024

  Stocks snapped their three-week losing streak on several strong earnings reports. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +2.7%, the Dow was +0.7%, and the NASDAQ was +4.0%. Within the S&P 500 Index, the Technology, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrial sectors led the advance, while the Materials, Health Care, and Communication Services sectors trailed. …

April Showers

April 22, 2024

  Stocks continued their decline for the third consecutive week. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was -3.0%, the Dow was flat, and the NASDAQ was -5.4%. Within the S&P 500 Index, the Utility, Consumer Staples, and Financial sectors had gains for the week, while the Technology, Consumer Discretionary, and Real Estate sectors had …

Eclipsed

April 8, 2024

  Stocks were eclipsed by strong economic data to start the second quarter. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was -0.9%, the Dow was -2.2%, and the NASDAQ was -0.8%. The best performing sectors in the S&P 500 Index were the Energy, Communication Services, and Materials sectors, while the Health Care, Real Estate, and …

Shiny Quarter

April 1, 2024

  Stocks closed out a strong first quarter of the year with moderate gains during a holiday shortened week. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +0.4%, the Dow was +0.8%, and the NASDAQ was -0.3%. The best performing sectors in the S&P 500 Index were the Utility, Real Estate, and Materials sectors, while …

Steady Feddy

March 25, 2024

  Stocks continued their uptrend last week after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +2.3%, the Dow was +2.0%, and the NASDAQ was +3.0%. The best performing sectors in the S&P 500 Index were the Communication Services, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrial sectors, while the Real Estate, …

Stubborn

March 18, 2024

  Stubborn inflation data kept stocks muted last week. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was -0.1%, the Dow was flat, and the NASDAQ was -1.2%. The best performing sectors in the S&P 500 Index were the Energy, Materials, and Consumer Staples sectors, while the Real Estate, Consumer Discretionary, and Technology sectors lagged. The …

Both Sides of the Coin

March 11, 2024

  Stocks ended the week on a down note on Friday. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was -0.2%, the Dow was -0.8%, and the NASDAQ was -1.5%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Utility, Real Estate, and Materials sectors, while the Consumer Discretionary, Technology, and Communication Services sectors lagged. The 10-year …

In Like a Lion

March 4, 2024

  Stocks have come into March like a lion year-to-date with the S&P 500 Index +8.0%. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +1.0%, the Dow was flat, and the NASDAQ was +2.1%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Technology, Real Estate, and Consumer Discretionary sectors, while the Health Care, Consumer Staples, …

Leap Year

February 26, 2024

  The S&P 500 Index leaped back to new highs last week. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +1.7%, the Dow was +1.3%, and the NASDAQ was +1.4%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Consumer Staples, Materials, and Industrial sectors, while the Energy, Real Estate, and Communication sectors lagged. All eleven …

Sticky Prices

February 20, 2024

  The S&P 500 Index had only its second weekly loss year-to-date but did stay above the 5,000 level. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was -0.3%, the Dow was just a touch positive, and the NASDAQ was -1.5%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Energy, Materials, and Utility sectors, while the …

Stock Love

February 12, 2024

  Investors have shown stocks a lot of love so far this year, pushing the S&P 500 Index above the 5,000 level for the first time. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +1.4%, the Dow was +0.1%, and the NASDAQ +1.8%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Technology, Consumer Discretionary, and …

More Progress is Needed

February 5, 2024

  The S&P 500 Index declined intra-week due to hawkish Federal Reserve comments, but rallied Friday to close at a new high. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +1.4%, the Dow was +1.4%, and the NASDAQ +1.3%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Consumer Discretionary, Communication Services, and Consumer Staples sectors, …

Stop and Go

January 16, 2024

  The major equity indices rebounded from the initial down week of 2024. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +1.9%, the Dow was +0.4%, and the NASDAQ +3.2%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Technology, Communication Services, and Consumer Staples sectors, while the Energy, Utility, and Materials sectors lagged. The 10-year …

Slow Start

January 8, 2024

  The S&P 500 Index snapped its nine-week winning streak to open the year down 1.5%. The other major benchmarks also closed lower with the Dow -0.6% and the NASDAQ -3.1%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Health Care, Utility, and Energy sectors, while the Technology, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrial sectors lagged. The …

Launch

January 2, 2024

  The equity markets had a quiet, but positive, last week of the year. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +0.3%, the Dow was +0.8%, and the NASDAQ was +0.3%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Utility, Consumer Staples, and Real Estate sectors. The Energy, Consumer Discretionary, and Communication Services …

Skating

December 26, 2023

  Equities skated into the Christmas holiday weekend with eight consecutive weekly gains. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +0.8%, the Dow was +0.2%, and the NASDAQ was +0.9%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Communication Services, Energy, and Health Care sectors. The Utility and Real Estate sectors lagged. The …

Tight Enough

December 18, 2023

  Equities rallied and bond yields declined as the Federal Reserve projected a decrease in the Fed funds rate for 2024 as the pace of inflation is declining. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +2.5%, the Dow was +2.9%, and the NASDAQ was +3.4%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the …

Projections

December 11, 2023

  Equities rose modestly as investors await the final Federal Reserve meeting of the year. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +0.2%, the Dow was flat, and the NASDAQ was +0.6%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Consumer Discretionary, Communication Services, and Technology sectors. The Energy, Materials, and Consumer Staples …

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 …

Inside Inflation

October 16, 2023

  The eruption of violence in the Middle East created a demand for safe haven assets last week as treasury bonds, gold, and oil all rose. The weekly return for the S&P 500 Index was +0.5%, the Dow was +0.8%, and the NASDAQ was +0.1%. The Energy, Utilities, and Real Estate sectors led the market, …

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 …