May 2026 - CTS Financial Group

Sixth Straight Week of Gains

jmuch2026-05-11T08:22:01-05:00May 11, 2026|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: 401(k), 529 plans, active investing, aging parents, AI, alternative investments, artificial intelligence, blockchain, bonds, budgeting strategies, capital gains tax, charitable giving, chicago, Chicago financial planning, college education, CPI, cryptocurrency, cybersecurity in finance, data-driven investing, debt, disability insurance, early retirement, education savings, equities, estate planning, Fed, financial, financial literacy, financial planning, financial strategy, fintech, fixed income, Gen X retirement, gifting, income tax brackets, income taxes, Inflation, insurance, Interest Rates, intergenerational wealth, investing, investment, IRS updates, legacy planning, long-term care insurance, macroeconomics, market volatility, markets, Midwest investors, millennial investing, monetary policy, PPI, retirement, retirement planning, risk, risk management, Roth conversions, social security, stocks, tariff, tax-efficient investing, tax-loss harvesting, taxes, taxes volatility, Trump, trust & wills, wealth accumulation, wealth management, wealth transfer, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of May 11th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks rose last week as peace talks picked up while investors cheered better-than-expected economic news and Q1 corporate results.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 2.33 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 4.51 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.22 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, added 1.24 percent.

Sixth Straight Week of Gains
Stocks stumbled at the start of the week as stalled peace talks and escalating tensions in the Middle East weighed on sentiment.

The gloom didn’t last long. Markets opened higher on Tuesday morning as investors reacted positively to solid Q1 corporate earnings results and falling oil prices. The rally extended through Wednesday after better-than-expected earnings results from a couple of chipmakers lifted the entire sector and led the broader averages higher. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record …

S&P, Nasdaq Have Best Month in 5 Years

jmuch2026-05-04T09:52:58-05:00May 4, 2026|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: 401(k), 529 plans, active investing, aging parents, AI, alternative investments, artificial intelligence, blockchain, bonds, budgeting strategies, capital gains tax, charitable giving, chicago, Chicago financial planning, college education, CPI, cryptocurrency, cybersecurity in finance, data-driven investing, debt, disability insurance, early retirement, education savings, equities, estate planning, Fed, financial, financial literacy, financial planning, financial strategy, fintech, fixed income, Gen X retirement, gifting, income tax brackets, income taxes, Inflation, insurance, Interest Rates, intergenerational wealth, investing, investment, IRS updates, legacy planning, long-term care insurance, macroeconomics, market volatility, markets, Midwest investors, millennial investing, monetary policy, PPI, retirement, retirement planning, risk, risk management, Roth conversions, social security, stocks, tariff, tax-efficient investing, tax-loss harvesting, taxes, taxes volatility, Trump, trust & wills, wealth accumulation, wealth management, wealth transfer, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of May 4th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks advanced last week as investors moved past stalled progress in Middle East peace talks and refocused on corporate earnings.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.91 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 1.12 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved up 0.55 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, added 0.58 percent.

April: Best Month in Five Years for S&P, Nasdaq
Markets were under pressure early in the week as investors focused on stalled peace talks and rising oil prices.

But midweek, momentum shifted. First, the Fed announced it was holding interest rates steady, as expected, but there was some dissent over the decision. Then investors’ attention focused on Wednesday’s closing bell, when several big-name companies reported Q1 results.

Investors mostly liked what they heard, and stock prices rose, ending April on a high note. …

Monthly Archives: May 2026

Sixth Straight Week of Gains

S&P, Nasdaq Have Best Month in 5 Years