Weekly Update Archives - Page 2 of 44

Market Rallies But Ends Week Flat

jmuch2024-10-07T10:18:59-05:00October 7, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, CPI, financial planning, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, retirement, risk management, sustainability, taxes, wealth management, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of October 7th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks were essentially unchanged last week as geopolitical tensions added some volatility to an otherwise quiet trading week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat (+0.09 percent), while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index ticked up 0.22 percent. The Nasdaq Composite also was flat (+0.10 percent). The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, was a bit more unsettled by the geopolitical events, dropping 3.74 percent.

Stocks Flat, Oil Spikes
Stocks posted modest gains on Monday, encouraged by upbeat comments in a speech by Fed Chair Jerome Powell. However, the modest gains pushed the S&P 500 and Dow to fresh records.

As Middle East tensions escalated on the first day of October, stocks fell, bond yields rose, and oil prices rose as the news unfolded.

On Wednesday, all three averages were flat. An ADP report showed higher-than-expected private sector job …

Rate Cut Momentum; D.C. Averts Shutdown

jmuch2024-10-01T10:18:53-05:00October 1, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: artificial intelligence, chicago, financial planning, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, markets, retirement, risk management, social security, taxes, wealth management, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of September 30th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks moved higher last week, continuing to build on the momentum generated after the Federal Reserve decided to cut short-term rates by 0.50 percent.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 0.59 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.95 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.62 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained an eye-catching 3.53 percent.

Congress Passes Spending Bill
Stocks started the week tepidly but in the green, as investors mostly shrugged off Tuesday’s weak consumer confidence report. Then, at midweek, markets put on the brakes as investors appeared to take profits after a four-day winning streak.

On Thursday, markets rallied on the news that the final Q2 gross domestic product estimate showed the economy increased at an annual rate of 3.0 percent. Then Friday, the PCE, or Personal Consumption and Expenditures Index, …

Fed Cuts Interest Rate By Half-Point

jmuch2024-09-23T10:31:26-05:00September 23, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, CPI, estate planning, Fed, financial planning, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, retirement, risk, risk management, taxes, wealth management, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of September 23rd, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks moved higher last week after the Federal Reserve’s half-point rate cut, bolstered by multiple data points supporting a cooling but still strong economy and decelerating inflation.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.36 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.49 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved ahead by 1.62 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, inched up 0.42 percent.

Fed Cuts Rate 0.5 Percent
Stocks traded in a narrow range for the first half of the week as anxious investors awaited the outcome of the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) September meeting.

Shortly after 2 pm ET Wednesday, the Fed announced it was cutting rates by a half percentage point—a more significant cut than some investors anticipated. Stocks initially rose in response and then fell. Some market watchers attributed the decline to concern …

Stocks Rally Ahead of Fed Meeting

jmuch2024-09-16T09:22:07-05:00September 16, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, financial planning, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, retirement, risk management, taxes, wealth management, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of September 16th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks rallied last week as investors received better-than-expected consumer and producer inflation data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.60 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 4.02 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led, picking up 5.95 percent as tech stocks rebounded. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, rose 1.01 percent.

A Wednesday to Remember
Stocks bounced out of the gate at the start of the week as “risk on” investors made moves before the pending release of the twin inflation reports–the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI). The three major averages added slightly more than 1 percent in Monday trading.

On Wednesday, stocks initially dipped following the release of the CPI as traders appeared disappointed by the report. By midday, sentiment changed. The S&P 500, down as much as 1.6 percent in …

Soft Jobs Data, Inflation on Deck, the Fed’s next move.

jmuch2024-09-09T10:01:03-05:00September 9, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, CPI, Fed, financial planning, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, PPI, retirement, risk management, wealth management|

The Weekly Update

Week of September 9th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks fell last week as soft economic data rattled investors focused on the Fed’s next move with interest rates.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.93 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 4.25 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 5.77 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, declined 2.91 percent.

Economic Data Unsettles Investors
The four-day trading week got off to a rough start as weak manufacturing data reawakened recessionary fears. All three major averages were down for the first session after the Labor Day holiday. For many, it was reminiscent of August 5, when stocks tumbled as recession worries unsettled investors.3

Attention shifted to Friday’s jobs report as stocks traded narrowly. Markets initially reacted positively to news that job growth rebounded slightly, and unemployment ticked down. However, selling pressure increased as the trading …

Stocks React To Key Data And Earnings

jmuch2024-09-03T09:21:29-05:00September 3, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, financial planning, financial strategy, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, markets, risk management, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of September 3rd, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

There were mixed results for stocks last week as upbeat economic data and a critical Q2 corporate report shaped the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.94 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased 0.24 percent. The Nasdaq Composite lagged, falling 0.92 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 0.35 percent.

Key Economic Data
Markets began the week quiet as investors awaited Q2 earnings from Nvidia, the world’s most influential name in artificial intelligence.

The chipmaker–the second largest stock in the S&P 500 by market capitalization–dipped on the news, putting pressure on the Nasdaq and S&P 500. (The Nasdaq and S&P 500 are market-weighted averages, so larger companies have an outsized impact.)

Nvidia is mentioned to show its influence on the overall stock market. It should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase …

Powell: Fed Is Ready for a Rate Cut

jmuch2024-08-24T16:51:53-05:00August 24, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: CPI, Fed, financial strategy, investing, market volatility, markets, risk, risk management, wealth management|

The Weekly Update

Week of August 25th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF

Stocks notched a solid gain as dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials boosted the market’s recovery from early August lows.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.45 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite added 1.40 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 1.27 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 2.98 percent.

Dovish Week
Stocks started the week strong, rallying after Wall Street welcomed dovish comments from Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq each posted gains on Monday–the 8th consecutive winning session. The Dow rose for the 5th session in a row.

From there, markets traded in a narrow band until Wednesday afternoon when minutes released from the July 30-31 FOMC Meeting revealed more dovish comments. On Thursday, stocks dipped ahead of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s annual Jackson Hole, Wyoming, speech.

Well-received …

Markets Rise Thanks to Upbeat Indicators

jmuch2024-08-19T09:12:53-05:00August 19, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, Fed, financial planning, Inflation, insurance, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, markets, retirement, taxes, wealth management|

The Weekly Update

Week of August 19th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks posted solid gains last week, buoyed by robust economic data and constructive comments from Fed officials.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 3.93 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 5.29 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged a bit, picking up 2.94 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, powered ahead by 4.31 percent.

Upbeat Economic News
Three critical economic data points gave investors what they were looking for: wholesale inflation, consumer prices, and retail sales.

Both the Producer Price Index and the Consumer Price Index rose less than expected in July, reinforcing a picture of cooling inflation. The July retail sales report on Thursday was stronger than expected, which added more fuel to the week-long rally.

Market action slowed down on the week’s final trading day, with positive consumer sentiment gains countered only by a …

Stocks Stage Comeback After Heavy Monday

jmuch2024-08-12T10:23:05-05:00August 12, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: chicago, CPI, Fed, Inflation, Interest Rates, investing, market volatility, markets, risk management, taxes, wealth management, women|

The Weekly Update

Week of August 12th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks ended last week with modest losses, masking a volatile five-day trading period that saw investors embrace recession concerns and then dismiss the slow-down talk as speculation as the week progressed.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.60 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index ended flat (-0.04 percent). The Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.18 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, fell 1.21 percent.

Stocks Stage Comeback
Monday was the worst day for the S&P 500 and the Dow in nearly two years. As recession talk grew louder, investors took a “risk off” position.

On Monday, the Japanese market had its worst drop since 1987 as market participants unwound positions from a popular trading strategy called a “carry trade” amid a global sell-off in stock prices.

But on Thursday, initial jobless claims fell less than expected—a positive …

Fed Goes Dove; Investors Retreat

jmuch2024-08-05T08:44:33-05:00August 5, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of August 5th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks fell broadly last week as investors looked past upbeat Fed comments and focused on disappointing corporate reports and weaker-than-expected economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.20 percent, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 2.06 percent. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 3.35 percent. By contrast, the MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 0.19 percent for the week through Thursday’s close.

Volatile Week of Trading
Stocks were under pressure early in the week as investors appeared to focus on the Fed’s meeting, which ended on Wednesday. It was a big week for Q2 corporate reports, with five of the ten largest names in the S&P 500 (by market capitalization) reporting numbers. But attention was mainly on the Fed’s meeting.

Stocks rallied on Wednesday when Fed Chair Powell indicated a September interest rate cut was …