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The Weekly Update

Week of May 18th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks were mixed last week as investors fretted over hot inflation reports, which offset the move in chipmaker stocks.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.13 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index edged down 0.08 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.17 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, declined 1.77 percent.

Volatile Week
Stocks ticked up to start the week, helping the S&P 500 close above 7400 for the first time. The Nasdaq also closed at a new high as chipmaker stocks continued to lead the tech sector.

Markets opened lower on Tuesday after the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report came in hotter than expected. Stocks pared the losses by the close, with the Dow Industrials managing to notch a slight gain.

The rally continued, with the S&P and Nasdaq hitting new intraday and closing …

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 …

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. …

The Weekly Upate

Week of April 27th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks were mixed last week as investors gauged potential outcomes of the Middle East conflict amid an ongoing ceasefire.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.55 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.50 percent. By contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.44 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, declined 2.75 percent.

Mixed Markets As Investors Look Ahead
Stocks began the week lower after tensions in the Middle East escalated over the weekend. They remained under pressure through Tuesday’s close as Wednesday’s expiration of the ceasefire loomed.

Markets opened higher on Wednesday as investors cheered a ceasefire extension, while solid Q1 corporate earnings results boosted market momentum. Oil prices rose above $100/barrel, and all three major stock averages closed higher, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq logging new all-time highs.

The S&P and Nasdaq recovered …

The Weekly Update

Week of April 20th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks rallied last week as investor enthusiasm increased for an end to the war in the Middle East and hopes of a resumption of normal global trade.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 4.54 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index picked up 6.84 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 3.19 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, increased 2.15 percent.

Shift to “Risk-On” from “Risk-Off”
Stocks continued to ride the hopeful sentiment of a ceasefire at the start of last week, with all three averages advancing. The S&P 500 has recouped all its losses since the start of the war.

Momentum accelerated through midweek as investors shifted from “risk-off” to “risk-on.” The White House signaled that the war was “very close to over” amid reports that further talks were under discussion.

At Wednesday’s close, the S&P …

The Weekly Update

Week of April 13th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Hope won out over fear last week as investors set their sights on a Middle East ceasefire holding and optimistic prospects for the Strait of Hormuz reopening.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 3.56 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index picked up 4.68 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 3.04 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, increased 4.52 percent.

Ceasefire Optimism
Stocks opened the week to modest gains, with the S&P 500 rising for the fourth consecutive trading day. Investors warily eyed the U.S.-imposed April 7 deadline for Iran to allow the free flow of oil and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz or risk further attacks on its energy infrastructure.

Stocks opened lower Tuesday but recovered late in the session on news that Pakistan asked the U.S. to push its deadline out by …

The Weekly Update

Week of March 30th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks ended a challenging week lower as investors’ attention shifted from updates on ceasefire talks to concerns about the economic impact of a protracted conflict.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 2.12 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 3.23 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.90 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, ended the week flat (-0.05 percent).

Challenging Week
Stocks opened higher to start the week as fresh optimism for a resolution to the Middle East conflict permeated market sentiment, and no further news on Iraq’s force majeure declaration appeared to help momentum. Both the Dow Industrials and S&P 500 booked their best day since early February as the White House reported “very good and productive conversations” to end hostilities.

Markets were under pressure on Tuesday but staged a recovery rally midweek …

The Weekly Update

Week of March 23rd, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Markets Dizzied by Rapid Reports
Another volatile week unfolded as rapid developments in the Middle East and public comments from leaders on the conflict see-sawed markets, leaving investors struggling to keep up with updates.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 1.89 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 2.07 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 2.11 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, dropped 2.01 percent.

Under Pressure
Stocks rebounded to start the week while oil prices eased. Investors kept one eye on potential bargains and the other on the Middle East conflict. Reports of a coalition of countries possibly joining to escort tankers out of the Persian Gulf also gave investors something to cheer.

Stocks continued their rebound as investors cautiously awaited more developments in the conflict. Markets largely looked past attacks on tanker ships …

The Weekly Update

Week of March 16th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks logged a third-straight down week as investors digested the latest news out of the Middle East, navigated more volatility, and mulled the latest economic data.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined 1.60 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index lost 1.26 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.99 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slid 2.28 percent.

Middle East
Markets got a volatile start to the week, with stocks falling and oil prices rising as commercial maritime traffic heading out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz remained at a virtual standstill. But stocks rebounded late in the day after the White House said the conflict may end sooner than expected.

Stocks dropped at Tuesday’s opening bell but mostly recovered after word spread that a group of countries, including the U.S., were …

The Weekly Update

Week of March 9th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks fell last week as investors assessed the implications of a fresh Middle East conflict while digesting mixed reports on the jobs market.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 2.02 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index slid 1.24 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 3.05 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, lost 6.62 percent.

Middle East Conflict
Stocks opened lower on the first trading day as investors reacted to news of military action in the Middle East. However, the decline was short-lived as investors “bought the dip.” All three major averages recovered or nearly recovered from their intraday lows by Monday’s close.

Stocks opened lower again on Tuesday as the markets mulled over the possibility of a protracted conflict. However, afternoon comments from the White House—promising to provide risk insurance and U.S. Navy escorts …