Monthly Archives: September 2025

The Weekly Update

Week of September 29th, 2025
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks fell last week, buffeted by concerns about stock price valuations and a possible government shutdown.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined 0.31 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index lost 0.65 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.15 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, fell 0.34 percent.

Stocks Under Pressure
The S&P 500 and the small-cap index Russell 2000 hit all-time intraday highs on Tuesday before trending lower. The decline turned into a three-day retreat for stocks.

Adding to the selling pressure was Federal Reserve Chair Powell, who made cautious comments on stock price valuations on Tuesday. Investors were also watching a possible government shutdown as Congressional budget deliberations appeared to stall.

It was the first time in six months that all three averages (Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq) declined over three consecutive sessions.

Stocks rebounded …

The Weekly Update

Week of September 22nd, 2025
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks posted solid gains last week, propelled by the Fed’s decision to cut short-term interest rates.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.22 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 2.21 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.05 percent. By contrast, the MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, fell 0.27 percent.

Third Week of Gains for S&P, Nasdaq
Stocks advanced to start the week following the president’s positive comments on trade talks with China. The news helped push the S&P 500 to close above 6600 for the first time.

After the Fed announced on Wednesday that it was cutting short-term interest rates by a quarter percentage point, all three major averages fell before rising again in a choppy, mixed trading session.

After digesting the Fed decision, all three major averages posted solid gains on Thursday, paced by …

The Weekly Update

Week of September 15th, 2025
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks posted a solid gain last week, riding a rally in megacap tech stocks while overcoming interest rate anxiety, a downward revision to jobs data, and mixed inflation reports.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.59 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 2.03 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.95 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 1.18 percent.

Stocks At New Highs
Stocks rose to start the week on renewed AI enthusiasm, with the Nasdaq hitting a new record intraday high. Stocks continued to push ahead on Tuesday despite fresh data showing large downward revisions to job creation for the 12 months through March.

The rally continued midweek after an unexpected drop in wholesale inflation appeared to boost investors’ hopes for Fed rate moves before the year’s end.

Investors cheered Thursday’s consumer inflation …

The Weekly Update

Week of September 8th, 2025
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks made gains last week, even as megacap tech gains outweighed economic concerns.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 0.33 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 1.14 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average descended 0.32 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 0.04 percent.

Tech Gains, Jobs Slow
Markets started the week on shaky ground. The Dow Industrials, S&P 500, and Nasdaq each slipped downward more than half a percentage point. Tariff uncertainty rose again, as a court ruling injected fresh doubt. Meanwhile, rising Treasury yields amplified volatility and rattled megacap tech names.

By Tuesday, stocks managed a partial rebound, and market direction shifted. Tech bounced back the next morning—led by two megacap tech stocks’ gains—with one soaring after avoiding an antitrust penalty.

On Thursday, softer private hiring data and rising layoff trends fueled hopes …

The Weekly Update

Week of September 2nd, 2025
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks ended the week slightly lower as mixed economic data led to some profit-taking by investors ahead of the holiday weekend.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index edged down 0.10 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 0.19 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.19 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, skidded 1.53 percent.

Stocks Rise, Then Falter
Stocks initially rose but then took a breather as investors continued to process Fed Chair Powell’s comments from the Fed’s annual symposium.

Stocks regained momentum midweek as investors waited for the Q2 corporate report from the nation’s most influential artificial intelligence (AI) company. The AI chip maker posted results Wednesday night, with a mixed reception in after-hours trading. On Thursday, the stock rallied, which helped the S&P 500 close above 6500 for the first time.

On Friday, the …