Monthly Archives: March 2018

The Weekly Update

Week of March 26, 2018
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Markets experienced significant declines last week. The S&P 500 lost 5.95%, the Dow dropped 5.66%, and the NASDAQ declined 6.54%. With these losses, all 3 domestic indexes had their worst weekly performance in more than 2 years. International stocks also declined, with the MSCI EAFE giving back 2.64%.

What caused markets to stumble in this way? While various economic reports came out and the Federal Reserve raised rates again, another topic triggered the declines: trade war concerns.

Weekly Focus: Analyzing Tariffs and Trade Wars

What happened?

Last week, President Trump approved new tariffs on China as a punishment for taking American intellectual property. The tariffs could affect as much as $60 billion in Chinese imports—and Trump called this the “first of many” trade actions against the country.

China indicated that it may retaliate and is “looking at all options” on how to …

The Weekly Update

Week of March 19, 2018
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Markets were up on Friday, but domestic stocks lost ground for the week as political turmoil and potential trade wars weighed on investors’ minds. The S&P 500 dropped 1.24%, the Dow gave back 1.54%, and the NASDAQ decreased 1.04%. International stocks in the MSCI EAFE barely avoided losses with a 0.13% gain.

1. Mixed Performance Results

Overall, we received a variety of mixed data last week:

• Down
  • Housing starts missed expectations and fell 7%.
  • Retail sales were lower than expected.
• Up
  • Consumer sentiment hit its highest reading since 2004.
  • Domestic factory production beat expectations.

But data reports were not the only detail worth noting last week. We also marked the 10-year anniversary of Bear Stearns’ collapse.

2. A Look Back

For 85 years, Bear Stearns was a respected institution that became one of the world’s largest investment banks. When the housing market …

The Weekly Update

Week of March 12, 2018
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Domestic stocks leapt ahead last week as the latest jobs report inspired renewed confidence in our economic standing. The S&P 500 added 3.54%, and the Dow gained 3.25%. The NASDAQ erased its losses from February’s market correction to hit a new record close while growing 4.17% for the week. International stocks in the MSCI EAFE increased by 1.79%.

In addition to solid stock growth, Friday, March 9, also brought a significant milestone in the markets: the 9th anniversary of our current bull market. The Dow is now amid its longest-ever bull run, and the S&P 500’s bull market is its 2nd-longest and -largest ever.

To put the recovery in perspective, 9 years ago, the S&P 500 closed at only 676.53. By market’s close last Friday, the index was at 2,786.57—more than 4 times its value at the bull market’s …

The Weekly Update

Week of March 5, 2018
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Volatility continued last week as markets posted their 1st weekly loss in 3 weeks. Despite some recovery on Friday, the S&P 500 dropped 2.04%, the NASDAQ slipped 1.12%, and the Dow lost 3.05% for the week. Internationally, the MSCI EAFE fell 2.91%.

Last week’s ups and downs began with continued questions over whether the Fed will raise interest rates. By the week’s end, however, rumors of an international trade war dominated the attention of investors.

Fed Suggests Raising Interest Rates

New Fed Chair Jerome Powell testified on Tuesday that inflation and a strong economy may lead to interest rate hikes sooner than expected. Whether the Fed will impose a 4th hike this year caused investor uncertainty and led to mid-week market drops. Powell noted, however, that increased market volatility will not influence the Fed’s decisions regarding rate increases.

Trump Announces Tariffs …