Market Attention Turns to Trade and Oil
The Weekly Update
Week of June 16th, 2025
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®
Stocks fell last week as an up-and-down mix of trade progress and anxiety, economic news, and geopolitical tensions netted out.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index slid 0.39 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 0.63 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.32 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, edged down 0.18 percent.
Trade, Geopolitics Dominate Sessions
Stocks largely languished for the first half of the week as investors awaited news from U.S.-China trade talks and key inflation reports.
Sentiment began to rise late Tuesday afternoon following upbeat comments about trade talks. Most of the market gains came before the U.S. and China separately announced the trade update, with little reaction when markets opened the next day.
Stocks peaked midweek, then declined despite a May report showing consumer inflation rose less than expected. Markets then trended …