Stock Markets Stocks logged their worst weekly decline since March as fears of a second wave of infections and doubts about a speedy economic recovery dampened investor sentiment. The Federal Reserve indicated that rates are likely to remain near zero until 2022 and issued a cautious economic outlook. The Fed’s cautious tone, in combination with […]
Weekly Market Review – June 6, 2020
Stock Markets Stocks climbed higher for the third week in a row, oil jumped, and Treasury yields rose to an 11-week high following a surprising gain in payrolls last month. The U.S. economy added 2.5 million jobs in May, while the unemployment rate declined to 13.3% from April’s record level, suggesting that an economic recovery […]
Weekly Market Review – May 30, 2020
Stock Markets Stocks ended the week higher, with the month of May marking the start of the gradual reopening of the domestic and global economy. A steady but slow decline in new infections has allowed the partial lifting of restrictions, boosting investor confidence. The more cyclical sectors, like financials and industrials, outperformed last week, while […]
Weekly Market Review – May 23, 2020
Stock Markets Global stocks finished higher on optimism over the reopening of the economies and some positive news about progress on vaccine trials. Later in the week some caution returned that raised geopolitical tensions, as China planned to impose a new security law on Hong Kong and as a U.S. Senate bill was introduced that […]
Weekly Market Review – May 16, 2020
Stock Markets Stocks erased most of the prior week’s gains after a string of disappointing economic releases and escalating tensions between the U.S. and China. U.S. retail sales and industrial production registered their steepest declines on record for the month of April, reflecting the full and sudden stop of economic activity. The U.S. administration moved […]
Weekly Market Review – May 9, 2020
Stock Markets Stocks finished higher last week, with energy and technology stocks leading the way. Oil recorded its first back-to-back weekly gain since February, as oil companies are cutting production faster than expected and as signs of increased demand emerged. On the economic front, the April employment report showed that a record 20.5 million jobs […]
Weekly Market Review – May 2, 2020
Stock Markets Even though stocks finished mixed the last week of April, the S&P 500 posted its best month since 1987. Synchronized stimulus initiatives globally improved sentiment from the March stock-market bottom. Volatility has subsided some but remains elevated. Economic data, including first-quarter U.S. GDP, point to broad weakness, marking the start of the recession, […]
Weekly Market Review – January 18, 2020
Stock Markets What analysts call better-than-expected economic data, encouraging corporate earnings from U.S. banks, and the signing of the “phase-one” trade agreement helped raise U.S. stocks to fresh record highs last week. A surge in housing starts bolstered by strong retail sales point to a resilient consumer that is supported by a continued strong labor […]
Weekly Market Review – January 11, 2020
Stock Markets Stock markets closed at near new all-time highs last week after the U.S. and Iran recoiled and avoided expected escalation in geopolitical tensions. Iran took retaliatory steps for the death of its general with missile strikes against U.S. military bases in Iraq. There were no casualties, whether on purpose or not, but President […]
Weekly Market Review – January 4, 2020
Stock Markets Following a sharp rally at year-end and a new record high on the first trading day of the year, U.S. stocks declined modestly on the week, which many expected. New concerns over tensions between the U.S. and Iran popped up on Friday after a U.S. airstrike in Iraq killed an Iranian general who […]