equities

The Weekly Update

Week of January 19th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks ended last week with modest losses after a volatile five days of market-moving economic data, geopolitics, and Fed drama.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index slid 0.38 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index skidded 0.66 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.29 percent. By contrast, the MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, rose 1.41 percent.

Choppy Trading
Stocks started the week lower after pre-opening bell news that the Justice Department had launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. A statement issued Tuesday morning by central bankers worldwide helped tamp down market volatility.

The White House called for a 10 percent cap on credit card interest rates for 1 year, putting pressure on financial stocks. Meanwhile, news that headline inflation matched forecasts while core inflation came in cooler than expected was well received …

The Weekly Update

Week of January 12th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks posted solid gains in an action-packed week of market-moving economic data, geopolitical news, and bullish new year sentiment.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.57 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index added 1.88 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.32 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, advanced 1.41 percent.

Santa Visits Dow, But Not S&P, Nasdaq
Stocks rose early Monday, led by the Dow Industrials, as investors looked past the news from Venezuela.

By Monday’s close, the Dow Industrials had gained enough to make the “Santa Claus Rally” a reality, pushing the Average to a 1.1 percent gain for the seven-session period (the last five trading days of 2025 and the first two of 2026). However, the S&P and Nasdaq came up short.

All three major averages continued their rise through midweek as the …

The Weekly Update

Week of January 5th, 2026
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks trended lower last week amid signs of year-end profit-taking and some sour investor sentiment over the Fed meeting minutes.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 1.03 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index lost 1.52 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.67 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, ticked up 0.31 percent.

Santa Rally, Interrupted
Stocks opened lower to start the shortened holiday week with tech shares under pressure. Markets then moved sideways but came under pressure after minutes from the December Federal Reserve meeting were released. Investors digested the details, which showed members remained divided.

Stocks recovered some ground on the first trading day of 2026. The tech sector was mixed, with AI chip stocks pushing higher, while other areas of technology, especially software companies, declined. Overall, the S&P 500 and Dow Industrials …

The Weekly Update

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

Stocks delivered for investors last week as positive economic data and bullish holiday cheer powered the start of a “Santa Claus rally” past consumer bah humbug sentiment.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.40 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.22 percent. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.20 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, moved ahead 1.16 percent.

AI Stock Sleigh Delivers
Stocks rallied at the start of the week, riding pre-holiday momentum as artificial intelligence (AI) related technology names continued to drive gains.

Fresh data out Tuesday initially quashed market momentum, reflecting investor concern that the stronger-than-expected Q3 economic growth might dissuade the Fed from adjusting interest rates in 2026.

But those fears appeared to subside after a Fed official said the U.S. is “way behind the curve in terms of lowering …

The Weekly Update

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

Stocks posted a slight gain last week as mixed jobs data triggered some selling pressure before a cooling inflation report helped stocks recover.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index inched ahead 0.10 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.48 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.67 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, rose 0.21 percent.

Round Trip for Stocks
A mixed jobs report on Tuesday created some concerns about the economy, leading the S&P 500 and Dow Industrials to modest declines. However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq posted a modest gain.

Stocks continued their retreat on Wednesday with a handful of AI-related names leading the decline.

Markets then staged a rebound as a fresh inflation report came in cooler than expected for November, raising investor hopes that interest rates may trend lower. The S&P 500 and Dow …

The Weekly Update

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

Stocks ended last week mixed. A widely anticipated Federal Reserve decision on interest rates and a rotation into non-tech areas helped push the Dow Industrials higher, while the broader market and technology stocks lagged.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index declined 0.63 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 1.62 percent. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.05 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, rose 0.89 percent.

Market Rotation After Fed Decision
Stocks stayed in a fairly tight trading range over the first half of the week. Tech remained a strong spot on Monday despite slight to modest declines in all three major averages.

By Tuesday’s close, all three major averages were slightly to modestly lower week-to-date as the Fed’s last interest-rate-setting meeting of the year approached.

Then, on Wednesday morning, stocks rose ahead of the …

The Weekly Update

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

Stock prices pushed higher last week, notching multiple records along the way as employment and inflation data took center stage in anticipation of the Fed’s upcoming meeting.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.31 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index picked up 0.91 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.50 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, added 0.72 percent.

Fed in Spotlight
Stocks fell to start the week as all three averages snapped a five-day win streak.

Megacap tech stocks then led a recovery rally, which continued its momentum midweek as ADP’s November report showed a decline in private-sector payrolls. Investors welcomed the report, believing it might prompt an interest rate adjustment at the Fed’s upcoming meeting. All three major averages posted modest gains over both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Stocks then largely went sideways, with …

The Weekly Update

Week of December 1st, 2025
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks pushed higher over the holiday week as investors’ hopes for a Fed rate adjustment drove bullish sentiment.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 3.73 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rallied 4.91 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 3.18 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, increased 3.15 percent.

AI Powered
A rebound rally began on Monday as the artificial intelligence (AI) business strategy of one of the largest megacap tech stocks reignited positive sentiment in the AI trade. The enthusiasm broadened out to a number of AI-related names, lifting the S&P 500 by 1.5 percent and the Nasdaq by 2.7 percent—its biggest one-day gain in more than six months.

Stocks rose again on Tuesday and Wednesday—the third and fourth consecutive trading days of gains, respectively, for all three major averages.

Overall bullish holiday sentiment, …

The Weekly Update

Week of November 24th, 2025
By Christopher Much, CFP®, AIF®

Heightened volatility was on Wall Street’s mind last week, as investors continued to focus on valuations of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 1.95 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index declined 2.74 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 1.91 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slumped 3.25 percent.

AI Valuation Worries
Stocks slid over the first half of the week as anticipation continued to build for Q3 results from one of the largest AI megacap tech stocks, due out midweek.

While the decline was led by megacap tech stocks, which typically drag down both the Nasdaq and S&P 500, the Dow Industrials also fell. With the government still playing catch-up on a backlog of economic reports following the shutdown, investors kept a close eye on big consumer-related stocks for insights into …

The Weekly Update

Week of November 17th, 2025
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks ended mixed after a nail-biting week for investors, who grew anxious over megacap tech valuations and interest rates as the government shutdown came to an end.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index edged up 0.08 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 0.45 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.34 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, advanced 1.63 percent.

Rotating into Value
The week began with stocks rising, fueled by hopes that the longest-ever government shutdown could soon end as a federal funding bill moved closer to Congressional approval. Building on these early gains, the Nasdaq advanced more than 2 percent and the S&P 500 added 1½ percent.

Stocks rose at the opening bell on Tuesday following news that the Senate had passed a bill to end the shutdown, but sentiment quickly turned as …