Stocks advanced for the second week in a row to kick off 2023. Investors were encouraged by inflation data that showed prices slid lower in December. The interest-rate-sensitive Nasdaq posted gains for six consecutive sessions, its longest streak since 2021, while the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 enjoyed their biggest weekly gains in nearly two […]
Read MoreAuthor: Nicole Easton
Is the Yield Curve Signaling a Recession?
Long-term bonds generally provide higher yields than short-term bonds, because investors demand higher returns to compensate for the risk of lending money over a longer period. Occasionally, however, this relationship flips, and investors are willing to accept lower yields in return for the relative safety of longer-term bonds. This is called a yield curve inversion, because a […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close January 6, 2023
Last Friday’s rally helped drive stocks higher to end the first full week of January. Investors apparently saw a deceleration in November and December average hourly earnings (see jobs report below) as a sign that the aggressive monetary policy followed by the Federal Reserve may actually be slowing inflation. Traders will await this week’s consumer […]
Read MoreRetirement Investors Get Another Boost from Washington
Amid the 1,650-page, $1.7 trillion omnibus spending legislation passed by Congress last week and expected to be signed by President Biden were several provisions affecting work-sponsored retirement plans and, to a lesser degree, IRAs. Dubbed the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 after the similarly sweeping Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act passed in […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close December 30, 2022
A late-week surge in dip buying wasn’t enough to save stocks from closing the last week of 2022 in the red. Only the Russell 2000 and the Global Dow managed to eke out minimal gains. The Nasdaq, S&P 500, and the Dow all ended the week lower. Treasury yields rose, as bond prices fell. The […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close December 23, 2022
Stocks ended a turbulent week generally lower as investors digested the latest inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s possible response. Of the benchmark indexes listed here, only the Dow and the Global Dow managed to eke out gains by the end of last week. Inflation rose by only 0.1% in November, according to the latest […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close December 16, 2022
Wall Street saw stocks end last week lower as investors worried that the Federal Reserve’s push to slow rising inflation may lead the economy into a recession. Early in the week, investors were buoyed by softer-than-expected inflation data, which preceded the Fed’s expected 50-basis-point interest-rate hike. However, Federal Reserve officials were clear that interest rate […]
Read MoreTis the Season for Tax-Friendly Giving Strategies
You may donate money to charitable organizations throughout the year, for no other reason than your heart-felt desire to support causes that you care about. But if philanthropy is important to you, keep in mind that the associated tax breaks could potentially increase your ability to give. You might consider a more strategic approach to […]
Read MoreWeekly Update as of market close December 9, 2022
Stocks couldn’t maintain momentum from the previous two weeks, ultimately closing last week in the red. The small caps of the Russell 2000 gave back over 5.0%, while the Nasdaq dropped 4.0%. The S&P 500 fell 3.4%, the Dow declined 2.8%, and the Global Dow dipped 1.7%. Ten-year Treasury yields gained 6.0 basis points, and […]
Read MoreStudent Loan Repayment Delayed Again to Future Date in 2023
The Biden administration has announced another extension for repayment of federal student loans to an unspecified date in 2023 due to legal challenges that have blocked implementation of the student loan debt relief program. The previous payment moratorium was set to expire on December 31, 2022. Under the new extension, student loan payments will resume […]
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