Positive Indicators Lift Stocks into May
The Weekly Update
Week of May 5th, 2025
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®
Stocks pushed higher last week as investors cheered the White House’s constructive comments on trade, upbeat Q1 corporate reports, and an encouraging jobs report.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 2.92 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 3.42 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 3.00 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, advanced 2.56 percent.
Longest Winning Streak in 20 Years
During the first two trading days, stocks increased as investors responded favorably to White House comments on tariff deals.
Then midweek—on the last day of the month—fresh data showed the economy contracted by 0.3 percent in Q1—the first decline in gross domestic product (GDP) in three years. Stocks initially fell on the news but staged a stunning recovery to add a seventh day to the S&P 500’s and Dow Industrial’s winning streaks.
Q1 corporate …
