Quick Takes Stocks notched their best week since the November election, with the S&P 500 Index gaining +2.9%. All 11 sectors rose, the top three sectors – Energy, Financials, and Materials –were all up just better than +6% for the week. The primary catalyst for...
Quick Takes Stocks have given up their gains in the early stages of the new year after a stronger-than-expected employment report spooked investors and sent yields higher. The S&P 500 fell 1.9%, the Nasdaq was down 2.3%, and the Russell 2000 dropped 3.5%. Yields...
Key Points LARGE WAS IN CHARGE In 2024, U.S. large-cap stock funds averaged a +17.4% gain, topping all other broad categories. That significantly outpaced international-stock funds, which saw a much more modest +4.8% rise. Despite the impressive stock fund...
Quick Takes Stocks had a Scrooge-like performance during the “Santa Claus Rally,” which is the seven-day period that ended Friday. This year’s Santa rally disappointed with a -0.5% decline for the S&P 500 Index versus the historical average gain of +1.3%....
Quick Takes A fall in shares of big tech companies dragged U.S. stocks lower on Friday, but the major U.S. stock indices still held onto gains for the week. The S&P 500 closed the week with a +0.7% gain, the Nasdaq Composite was down -0.8%, and the Russell 2000...
Quick Takes Wall Street didn’t like the message Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivered on Wednesday and sent the S&P 500 Index down -2.0 for the week; the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell -1.8%, and the small cap Russell 2000 Index sank -4.5%. Fed policymakers...
Quick Takes It was a mixed week for the major U.S. stock indexes, with the S&P 500 Index snapping a three-week win streak, falling -0.6%, while the small cap Russell 2000 Index recorded a second consecutive week of underperformance against the S&P 500,...
Quick Takes The economic highlight of the week was the November Employment Situation Report which showed nonfarm payrolls grow by 227,000 for the month. That was solid enough for economic growth but not so hot to prevent the Fed from cutting rates again in December. ...
Key Points STRONGER THAN EXPECTED The Fed began a rate-cutting cycle in September but may need to recalibrate the pace and magnitude of cuts due to stronger-than-expected economic growth and inflation. Recent upward pressure on prices may necessitate a more gradual...
Quick Takes It was a holiday-shortened week on Wall Street, but stocks and bonds were able to make solid gains. The benchmark S&P 500 Index rose +1.0% and ended at a record close, while the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index rose +1.4% for the week. Not all...
