Weekly Update

The Weekly Update

Week of January 17th, 2023
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks rallied last week thanks to fresh confirmation of inflation’s cooling trend and growing optimism that an inflation slowdown may provide the Fed with space to ease up on future rate hikes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 2.00%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 2.67%. The Nasdaq Composite index surged 4.82% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, jumped 3.32%.

Improving Sentiment
Investor sentiment came into the new year weighed down by recession fears and concerns that Fed rate hikes may “go higher for longer.” Last week a different narrative emerged. Sustained declines in inflation, a rate hike cycle nearing an end, and a resilient economy that may avoid recession resulted in a broad-based rally.

Moderating inflation was evident in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Thursday, which, in combination with …

The Weekly Update

Week of January 9th, 2023
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

A strong Friday rally triggered by fresh signs of moderating inflation pushed stocks into positive territory to begin the new year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.46%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 1.45%. The Nasdaq Composite index gained 0.98%. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, added 0.90%.

Stocks Rally
A new year did little to change the market’s overall tenor as trading remained choppy. The first two trading sessions of a holiday-shortened week saw major averages swing wildly between gains and losses as investors balanced an improving outlook on inflation against concerns of faltering economic growth. Mega-cap technology and other high-growth names endured the brunt of the selling pressure.

Stocks took a decisive turn lower Thursday on strong private payroll growth and declining jobless claims, which heightened fears that the Fed would need to …

The Weekly Update

Week of January 3rd, 2023
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

In a holiday-shortened week, erratic trading left stocks marginally down for the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.17%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 0.14%. The Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.30%. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, edged 0.61% higher.

Stocks End Lower
Steps by China to move past its zero-Covid policies triggered concerns that its economic reopening might aggravate inflation pressures, sending stocks lower and bond yields higher to begin the week. Technology stocks saw the most significant hit.

With dimming prospects of a Santa Claus rally (the historical tendency of stocks to rise in the final trading days of the year and the first two days of the new year), stocks rebounded strongly on Thursday to erase the losses of the previous two days. However, stocks again turned lower to end the …

The Weekly Update

Week of December 19th, 2022
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Hawkish comments by the Fed and weak economic data heightened investors’ recession concerns and sent stocks lower last week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.66%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 retreated 2.08%. The Nasdaq Composite index declined 2.72% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slipped 0.88%.

Stocks Under Pressure
Stocks began the week on a positive note, supported by a cooler-than-expected Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. Stocks reversed direction mid-week, however, following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in which another 0.5% rate hike was announced.

The half-point increase was widely anticipated, but the increase in the terminal rate (i.e., the point at which the Fed stops raising rates) rattled investors. Continued hawkishness by Fed Chair Powell at the post-meeting press conference added to investors’ anxiety. The potential for higher rates …

The Weekly Update

Week of December 12th, 2022
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Recession fears and concerns that the Fed may consider a longer rate-hike cycle sent stocks lower for the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2.77%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 3.37%. The Nasdaq Composite index lost 3.99% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, dipped 1.09%.

Stocks Slide
Stocks were under pressure much of the week due to resurgent recession fears and concerns that Fed rate hikes may go higher for longer than current expectations. There was some good news last week on the economic front and out of China, which started to loosen COVID restrictions. But it was a week where good news was considered bad news, as any signs of economic resilience stoked worries of a longer rate-hike cycle.

Higher continuing jobless claims signaled economic softness, triggering a Thursday rally. …

The Weekly Update

Week of December 5th, 2022
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks ended higher last week as investors navigated the crosscurrents of a potential easing in future rate hikes and continued strength in the labor market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.24% higher, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 1.13%. The Nasdaq Composite index improved by 2.09% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, rose 1.68%.

A Choppy Week
The week started lower on concerns about protests in China over its zero-Covid policy and comments by two Fed presidents that the Fed may continue its aggressive rate hike policy. Stocks then surged on Wednesday following remarks by Fed Chair Powell, confirming the central bank’s intention to slow the pace of interest rate increases, which may begin as early as this month.

Stocks buckled in early trading on Friday’s monthly employment report, which showed a …

The Weekly Update

Week of November 28th, 2022
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Growing optimism that the Fed may be ready to ease future interest rate hikes sent stocks higher in a quiet trading week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.78%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 1.53%. The Nasdaq Composite index improved 0.72% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, advanced 2.33%.

Stocks Rally
In light holiday-week trading, stocks rallied as investors grew more hopeful of a slowdown in a future rate hike. The release of the minutes from the early November meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) fed investors’ optimism. Fed officials suggested such easing may be coming soon.

Investor sentiment was also lifted by unexpectedly strong retailer earnings, upside surprises in new economic data, and a better-than-expected consumer sentiment reading. Investors looked past the continuing Covid-related challenges that have stymied China’s …

The Weekly Update

Week of November 21st, 2022
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

The stock market edged lower last week as it digested a crosscurrent of conflicting economic data and contrasting comments from Fed officials.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat (-0.01%), while the Standard & Poor’s 500 declined by 0.69%. The Nasdaq Composite index lost 1.57% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, fell 0.88%.

Stocks Slip
Stocks took a spill after Fed officials’ comments cast uncertainty about future rate hikes. The more hawkish comments soured investor hopes of an imminent easing in Fed rate hikes, a prospect that had helped fuel the market rally the previous week.

Concerns over the hawkish comments raised investor worries over recession risks, anxiety exacerbated by weak housing data and layoff announcements from major technology companies. The economic picture, however, included some encouraging news as retail sales rose and producer …

The Weekly Update

Week of November 14th, 2022
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

A cooling inflation number ignited a powerful rally on Thursday, sending stocks to strong gains for the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 4.15%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 5.90%. The Nasdaq Composite index rose 8.10% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, picked up 5.72%.

Stocks Surge
A lower-than-expected inflation report triggered the biggest one-day stock market gain in more than two years as the news raised investors’ hopes that the Fed might consider easing the pace of future rate hikes. The day’s gains were pronounced in the hard-hit technology sector, as the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 7.35%.

Stocks initially rallied to start the week but gave up some of the gains on Wednesday following a muddy and indecisive outcome to the midterms. Friday saw stocks build on their gains to close …

The Weekly Update

Week of November 7th, 2022
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Hawkish comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell, following the announcement of another 75-basis points interest rate hike last week, cast a pall over financial markets, sending yields higher and stocks lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 1.40%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 declined 3.35%. The Nasdaq Composite index lost 5.65% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, fell 1.04%.

Powell Disappoints
The official statement released following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting appeared to suggest a potential for future easing of interest rates. Investors cheered the news, sending stocks higher. But the optimism was crushed 30 minutes later with hawkish comments by Fed Chair Powell during his post-meeting press conference.

Losses accelerated into Thursday, led by technology names, which were under pressure due to rising bond yields. The yield on the two-year …