The Markets (as of market close May 31, 2024)

Equities generally closed lower by the end of the week with, the Nasdaq and the Dow falling furthest among the benchmark indexes listed here. The Russell 2000 and the Global Dow were flat. Investors spent the week assessing the first-quarter gross domestic product, jobless claims, and corporate earnings data. Ten-year Treasury yields rose as bond […]

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The Markets (as of market close May 24, 2024)

Tech shares, particularly AI stocks, helped push the Nasdaq, and to a much lesser extent, the S&P 500 higher last week. The Dow, the Russell 2000, and the Global Dow declined. During a week when volume was relatively light, investors latched onto favorable corporate earnings data from some major tech and AI companies. Among the […]

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The Markets (as of market close May 17, 2024)

Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq advanced for the fourth straight week, which is the first time that has happened since February. Not to be outdone, the Dow advanced for a fifth straight week. Much of the week’s focus was on inflation data (see below). Investors will now look to responsive comments from Federal […]

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The Markets (as of market close May 10, 2024)

The market closed last week higher. Investor sentiment was bolstered by good corporate earnings results from key megacaps. Of the 459 companies of the S&P 500 that have reported earnings, 77% beat consensus predictions. The Dow rode an eight-session winning streak, while the S&P 500 approached a record high. Among the market sectors, only consumer […]

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The Markets (as of market close May 3, 2024)

The markets enjoyed a solid week of gains on the heels of favorable corporate earnings data and a softer-than-expected employment report (see below). Investors could be viewing the dip in job hires and wage growth as the fuel the Federal Reserve needs to consider interest rate cuts. The Fed has consistently maintained that a softening […]

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The Markets (as of market close April 26, 2024)

Stocks closed last week higher, driven up by tech and communication shares. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here climbed higher, led by the Nasdaq, which rose more than 4.0%. With nearly 50.0% of S&P 500 companies reporting first-quarter earnings, 77.0% reported positive earnings per share and 60.0% reported positive revenue according to the latest […]

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The Markets (as of market close April 19, 2024)

Wall Street endured another down week as tech shares, which had been the bellwether of the bull market, were hit hard by major selloffs as investors worried about rising tensions in the Middle East and stubborn inflationary pressures. The Dow managed to essentially break even by week’s end, and that was the good news. The […]

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The Markets (as of market close April 12, 2024)

Stocks faltered for the second straight week as investors dealt with market-moving inflation data and a less-than-impressive start to first-quarter corporate earnings season. Both the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index rose higher last week. Taken together, increases in the CPI and the PPI support a more cautious approach relative to the Federal […]

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The Markets (as of market close April 5, 2024)

Despite a late-week surge, stocks closed lower last week. Investors saw the continued strength of the labor market (see below) as increasing the chances of a soft landing for the economy, while potentially delaying the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here lost value, with the Russell 2000 and […]

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The Markets (as of market close March 29, 2024)

Stocks finished the month of March in solid fashion. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains, with the exception of the Nasdaq. Bond yields dipped lower. Crude oil prices advanced, while energy shares ended up being a top performer. The dollar inched higher, while gold prices continued to climb. Investors seemed to take […]

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