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Investors Enter 2024 In Doubtful Mood

2024-01-08T10:10:42-06:00January 8, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of January 8th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks retreated in the first trading week of 2024, struggling a bit after a celebratory end to last year as investors second-guessed Fed signals and fretted over lingering inflation concerns.

New Year Blues
Stocks got off to a rough first week of the new year, with tech names leading the week’s decline. Several market observers called it the “reverse Goldilocks” effect, where the market decided investors were getting a little too excited over the prospect of a Fed rate cut.

Stocks bounced up and down each of the four trading days but ended each one down—except Friday, when the Dow Industrials, Nasdaq Composite, and S&P 500 all ended the day in the green when jobs data helped soften the week’s slide

All About The Fed
On Wednesday, manufacturing news came in better than expected, lifting markets until the December Federal Open Market …

S&P Ends 2023 Up 24%

2024-01-02T10:20:27-06:00January 2, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of January 2nd, 2023
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks posted a slight gain last week amid a shortage of news and light holiday trading.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.76%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 0.49%. The Nasdaq Composite index advanced 0.32% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, increased 1.13%.

Stocks Gain To End Year
The stock market gains in the final trading days of 2023 capped an exceptional year of performance. The last-week rally also mirrored the historical tendency of stocks to rise at this time of year, a propensity known as the “Santa Claus rally.” The Santa Claus rally covers the final five trading days of the calendar year and the first two days of trading in January.

The average return of the S&P 500 during this Santa Claus rally is 1.3% during the past 73 years. …

Investors Boost Stocks Ahead of Holiday Week

2023-12-26T20:46:56-06:00December 26, 2023|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of December 25th, 2023
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Investor optimism and fears of missing out on future gains propelled stocks higher in the last full week of trading before year-end.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.22%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 0.75%. The Nasdaq Composite index advanced 1.21% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, added 0.51%.

Stocks Build On Gains
The current market narrative of declining inflation, easing interest rates, and better earnings ahead continued to fuel stock market gains, with some of the year’s laggards, such as smaller cap stocks and energy names, leading the way.

While the stock market has repeatedly seen gains gather steam in the final trading hours, a late-day sell-off on Wednesday unnerved investors. While it’s difficult to know precisely why, the sharp decline may have resulted from profit-taking and low trading volumes, which …

Stocks Rally on Fed, Inflation News

2023-12-18T10:58:36-06:00December 18, 2023|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of December 18th, 2023
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Markets reacted positively last week to cooler inflation and the idea of potential rate cuts next year, adding to the gains of the market’s year-end rally.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.92%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 2.50%. The Nasdaq Composite index picked up 2.85% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, tacked on 2.75%.

Rally Continues
Stocks gathered momentum last week after upbeat news from two key inflation reports. But the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on Wednesday powered the week’s advance. The combination of the FOMC signaling three rate cuts in 2024 and dovish comments by Fed Chair Powell led to a sharp drop in bond yields and a spike in stock prices, with the Dow Industrials closing above 37,000 and setting an all-time high.

The …

Stocks Spark Late Week Rally

2023-12-11T10:09:56-06:00December 11, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|

The Weekly Update

Week of December 11th, 2023
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

A late-week, two-day rally left stocks higher, adding to November’s gains as the last month of trading for 2023 began.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat (+0.01%), while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 0.21%. The Nasdaq Composite index advanced 0.69% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, was up 0.37%.

Stocks Extend Gains
The relationship between the bond and stock markets–which pushed stocks higher in November (i.e., falling bond yields, rising stock prices)–disappeared last week, with stocks falling in the first three days of the week despite declining yields. Yields dropped following a weak job openings report, the ADP employment update, and a substantial productivity revision.

On Thursday, investor enthusiasm returned with force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) related news. One AI chip manufacturer announced a new AI chip, followed by a mega-cap tech …

Updated For 2024

2023-12-08T21:28:45-06:00December 7, 2023|Categories: Resource Center, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , |

The Internal Revenue Service recently released updated income tax brackets, standard deduction, and retirement contribution limits for the 2024 tax year. While these taxes are not due for some time, it may benefit you to start thinking ahead.

Overall, more than 60 provisions have changed. Here are a few of the most critical tax bracket and retirement contribution limit changes.

Tax Bracket Inflation Adjustment

Overall, tax brackets have been adjusted upwards by 5.4% for 2024. The primary purpose of this adjustment is to account for inflation, which is based on the Consumer Price Index. The government’s goal is to keep income taxes in sync with consumer buying power.

Standard Deduction

The standard deduction has increased to $29,200 for married couples filing jointly, up $1,500 from the previous year. For single filers, this number increased by $750 to $14,600.

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

IRA contribution limits are up $500 in 2024 to $7,000. Catch-up contributions for those over …

Stocks Rise As Bond Yields Fall

2023-12-04T09:44:09-06:00December 4, 2023|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of December 4th, 2023
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

A Friday rally turned an otherwise mixed week for stocks into a solid performance.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 2.42%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 0.77%. The Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.38% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, ended marginally higher by 0.13%.

Stocks Move Higher
The stock market digested November’s robust gains for much of last week but rallied strongly amid falling bond yields on the last trading day.

Market sentiment remained positive as the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation showed ongoing signs of softening inflation pressures, boosting hopes that the Fed may be able to end its rate hikes and consider rate cuts sometime next year. Investors also welcomed news of solid spending in early holiday sales reports.

The declines in bond yields reflect that the financial markets are …

Short Week Strong for Stocks

2023-11-27T09:48:36-06:00November 27, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|

The Weekly Update

Week of November 27th, 2023
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Investor enthusiasm for stocks remained strong last week, buoyed by declining bond yields in a holiday-abbreviated trading week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 1.27%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 1.00%. The Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.89% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, was flat (+0.03%).

Falling Yields Lift Stocks
The stock market continued to look toward the bond market for direction, responding positively to bond yields that fell steadily for much of the week. A successful 20-year Treasury notes auction on Monday triggered a decline in bond yields. The release of the minutes from the Fed’s last meeting buoyed investor optimism that the potential for further rate hikes was diminishing.

Investor sentiment was also lifted by the earnings results from a leading mega-cap, AI-enable chipmaker that topped analysts’ expectations, bolstering …

November Rally Continues

2023-11-20T11:16:09-06:00November 20, 2023|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of November 20th, 20223
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks extended their November rally last week as investors cheered lower-than-forecast inflation data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.94%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 2.24%. The Nasdaq Composite index rose 2.37% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, increased 3.36%.

Stocks March Higher
A better-than-anticipated consumer inflation number on Tuesday sent bond yields sharply lower, igniting a powerful, exceptionally broad-based rally that saw 91% of all New York Stock Exchange volume advancing in price and a similarly substantial advance (85%) on the NASDAQ. Small-cap stock performance was solid, surging 5.2%, more than double the advance of the S&P 500.

Further gains came the following day as wholesale price inflation rose even slower than consumer prices. The rally paused in the final days of trading as stocks digested their gains and investors assessed …

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