Weekly Investment Update Archives

Labor Market Weakness Creates Uncertainty for Investors

Wall Street saw an uptick in volatility last week, resulting in a mixed performance among the major market indexes, despite a Friday rally that reduced the week’s losses. Investors weighed pressure from high Treasury yields and concerns about inflation against optimism that a weakening labor market might forestall another Federal Reserve rate increase. Once again, […]

Federal Reserve Policy Tightening Keeps Markets on Edge

Stocks closed last week generally higher as tech and AI shares attracted investors, while Treasury yields continued to rise as a notable sell-off pulled bond prices lower. This result is likely due to traders trying to balance strong corporate earnings and solid economic momentum with stubborn inflation and the likelihood of additional Federal Reserve policy […]

Treasury Yields Rise as Fed Raises Interest Rates

Last week marked the first adjustment in interest rates in the last three years as investors spent the latter part of the week trying to figure out the implications of monetary tightening, rising Treasury yields, persistent inflation, and advancing crude oil prices. By week’s end, tech stocks showed resilience while large caps ticked lower. Ten-year […]

Treasury Yields Climb as Inflation and Rate Concerns Grow

Despite strong returns last Friday, it was not enough to offset losses accumulated earlier in the week. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here closed the holiday-shortened week in the red as investors tried to reconcile rising energy prices, increasing inflation, climbing Treasury yields, and the increasing likelihood of an interest rate hike by the […]

August Jobs Report Sends Mixed Signals to Markets

Most of the major market indexes closed the week moderately higher, despite a late-week pullback. Investors had to weigh strong corporate earnings and economic resilience against concerns that the Federal Reserve may hike interest rates later this month following the unexpectedly robust jobs report (see below). Market sectors were mixed, with energy and communication services […]

Federal Reserve Holds Firm as Markets End August Higher

Major U.S. stocks ended the last full week of trading in August modestly higher. Strong AI company earnings boosted tech shares, while the war with Iran, persistent inflation, and a more hawkish Federal Reserve dampened investor enthusiasm for risk. Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, in his speech at the Jackson Hole Summit, noted that while […]

Stocks Pull Back as Treasury Yields and Oil Prices Rise

The benchmark indexes closed lower last week, snapping a multi-week winning streak. Despite a rally last Friday, stocks retreated in response to elevated Treasury yields, rising crude oil prices, mixed corporate earnings, and weakness in key tech and mega-cap shares. Among the market sectors, only health care, materials, and energy closed the week higher. Bonds […]

Stocks Rise as Cooling Inflation Boosts Market Optimism

The stock market closed generally higher last week, despite a minor setback last Friday. Market momentum was driven by cooling inflation data (see below), solid Q2 corporate earnings reports, and strengthening opinions that the Federal Reserve may posture a more dovish approach to interest rates in the near term. The S&P 500 reached an all-time […]

Stocks Rally as Cooler Jobs Data Eases Rate Concerns

Wall Street ended last week on solid footing, with each of the benchmark indexes listed here posting notable weekly gains, capped by a Friday rally. The market was buoyed by strong Q2 corporate earnings results and a cooler-than-expected labor report, which quelled immediate fears of aggressive monetary tightening in the near term. Ten-year Treasuries fell […]

Markets Rebound After Federal Reserve Holds Rates Steady

The last week of July was an event-heavy one for Wall Street. Investors had to evaluate the impact of significant Q2 earnings results, a Federal Reserve rate decision, the latest gross domestic product report, and more inflation data. Despite a sharp mid-week plunge following the Fed’s decision to maintain the current interest rate range, equities […]