Weekly Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary December 23, 2024 The Markets But that’s not what I wanted! Last week, markets were about as happy as a toddler opening a gift they didn’t like. The first upsetting event followed the Federal Reserve (Fed)’s final policy meeting for 2024. The Fed met expectations by lowering its policy rate one-quarter of a percentage point, as many economists had anticipated. The federal...

Weekly Market Commentary December 16, 2024 The Markets How high can U.S. stocks fly? The U.S. stock market has delivered exceptional performance over the past few years and remains on track to deliver solid returns in 2024. “It isn’t a secret that U.S. stocks have outperformed the rest of the world. Over the past decade, the S&P 500 returned 13 [percent] a year on average,* compared with less...

Weekly Market Commentary December 09, 2024 The Markets U.S. stocks thrive amid turmoil. The performance of the U.S. stock market is striking. Last week, the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 closed at a record high for the 57th time this year, reported Rita Nazareth of Bloomberg. Here are some of the notable factors that sent stocks higher last week: Political upheaval overseas. A declaration an...

Weekly Market Commentary December 02, 2024 The Markets Not one, but two! United States stock markets are serving another cup of cheer this year. The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index returned more than more than 24 percent in 2023. This year, it was up 26.5 percent through the end of November. It’s possible 2024 will end up in Wall Street’s bull market hall of fame, wrote Jan-Patrick Barne...

Weekly Market Commentary November 25, 2024 The Markets The post-election rally resumed. Investors shook off concerns about interest rates and inflation, and U.S. stocks climbed higher last week. The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index gained every day last week, and the rally wasn’t limited to a few popular stocks: 425 of the companies in the Index finished the week higher, according to Jaco...

The Markets The United States stock market changed course. Last week, the strength of the United States economy slowed investors’ roll. Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell told business leaders in Dallas, Texas, that the performance of the United States economy has been “remarkably good,” better than any major economy in the world, which gives the Fed “the ability to approach our decisions c...

Weekly Market Commentary November 11, 2024 The Markets Stock markets celebrated the results of the presidential election. Bond markets were less enthusiastic. Last week, United States stock markets rallied, and the U.S. dollar gained against other currencies, following the presidential election. The CBOE Volatility Index, Wall Street’s Fear gauge, also moved lower after concerns about a long wait...

Weekly Market Commentary November 04, 2024 The Markets Are we witnessing an historic event? For an airplane or a spacecraft, a soft landing occurs when the vehicle “touches the ground in a controlled and gradual way that does not damage it,” according to The Britannica Dictionary. For the American economy, a soft landing happens when the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to cool the economy an...

Financial markets appear to have pre-election jitters. The United States election is less than two weeks away. The candidates are neck and neck. The outcome remains uncertain. And expectations for volatility have been rising, with the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) finishing last week at 20.33. “When the VIX goes north of 20, Wall Street pays attention because that level signals heightened volatility...

Weekly Market Commentary October 21, 2024 The Markets Happy birthday! The bull market in stocks charged past its two-year birthday on October 12. “This unique bull market is still young relative to history and, for now, supported by relatively healthy breadth and broadening participation,” wrote Liz Ann Sonders and Kevin Gordon of Schwab. One factor in the U.S. stock market’s rise has been the Ame...