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Weekly Update

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Meandering

2021-05-05T15:04:28-05:00May 3, 2021|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of May 3rd, 2021
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks meandered around a flatline in a busy week of corporate earnings, ending the trading week slightly lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.50%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 was flat (+0.02%). The Nasdaq Composite index surrendered 0.39%. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, rose 0.18%.

Seeking Direction
Though the S&P 500 and Nasdaq established new record highs at the start of the week, stocks struggled to find traction as the week wore on.

Investor sentiment was dampened by rising COVID-19 infections in India and Japan, along with mounting inflation worries. Stocks finally caught some lift from strong quarterly reports issued by two big technology companies and an upbeat first-quarter Gross Domestic Product growth number, sending the S&P 500 to a fresh record high.

Once again, though, stocks failed to follow through, as the market retreated …

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Crosscurrents

2021-05-05T15:08:35-05:00April 26, 2021|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of April 26th, 2021
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

The crosscurrents of strong corporate earnings, rising global cases of COVID-19, and the specter of higher capital gains taxes led to a choppy week of trading that left stock prices slightly lower for the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.46%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 slipped 0.13%. The Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.25% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, dropped 0.47%.

A Directionless Week
Despite continued better-than-expected corporate earnings, stocks retreated as concerns over rising global COVID-19 infections weighed on investor sentiment. A mid-week rally erased much of these losses, with reopening stocks and small cap companies leading the market.

The stock market resumed its decline in reaction to reports that President Biden supported a capital gains tax increase on wealthy Americans. The Biden news prompted worries that stocks could come …

Insights Into Recovery

2021-05-05T15:21:30-05:00April 19, 2021|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of April 19th, 2021
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks reached record highs last week, riding the tailwind of improving economic data and a strong start to the earnings season.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.18%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 1.37%. The Nasdaq Composite index added 1.09%. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, climbed 1.00%.

Earnings, Economic Data
Stocks rallied early in the week on strong retail sales, a sharp drop in initial jobless claims, and a retreat in bond yields. Stocks then climbed to fresh record highs on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising above 34,000 for the first time and the S&P 500 approaching 4,200.

The market overcame some initial jitters arising from health authorities recommending a pause on a COVID-19 vaccine. Stocks also looked past an increase in the Consumer Price Index and a Federal Reserve report …

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Tech Resurging

2021-05-05T15:21:44-05:00April 12, 2021|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of April 12th, 2021
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Strong economic data and a resurgent technology sector propelled stocks to solid gains last week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 1.95%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 picked up 2.71%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index gained 3.12%. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 1.96%.

Technology Leads
A blow-out jobs report and an all-time high in the ISM-Services Index, coupled with the continued rebound in technology stocks, powered the Dow Industrials and S&P 500 to record highs to open a new week of trading.

After taking a breather mid-week, stocks resumed their climb amid lower bond yields, widening momentum in vaccination efforts, and falling concerns over corporate tax rate hikes. As bond yields settled lower, technology shares rallied, lifting the S&P 500 to another record high on Thursday, its 19th closing record high this year.

Despite a …

Hedge Fund Woes

2021-05-05T15:21:56-05:00April 5, 2021|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of April 5th, 2021
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Overcoming a rocky start, stocks rallied into the close of a holiday-shortened week of trading as technology shares staged a powerful recovery and investors reacted positively to President Biden’s infrastructure spending proposal.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.24%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 picked up 1.14%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index rose 2.60%. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slipped 0.43%.

S&P 500 Hits 4,000
Monday opened with two banks reporting they face losses due to the default of a small U.S. hedge fund. That news, combined with rising yields, higher new cases of COVID-19, and a public warning of new virus variants, started the week off on an unsettled note.

Despite the shaky start, upbeat economic reports helped spark a rally that was paced by gains in the technology sector. The market also reacted …

FOMO Subsiding

2021-03-29T14:37:40-05:00March 29, 2021|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of March 29th, 2021
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

A rocky week with wide price swings led to mixed results for stocks last week, as investors grappled with anxieties over economic growth and weakness in technology and other high-growth stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 1.36%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 1.57%. The Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.58% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slipped 1.67%.

Stocks Churn
After a promising start to the week, stocks turned negative on mounting concerns about economic growth in Europe, with broad losses in energy, cyclicals, and technology.

Though bond yields backed off their highs and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen and Fed Chair Jerome Powell both struck an optimistic tone on the economy, stocks posted back-to-back losses on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday trading was emblematic of the week’s volatile action. The S&P 500 …

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9 Crucial Steps to Ensure You’re Prepared for Retirement

2021-05-14T17:51:32-05:00March 26, 2021|Categories: Resource Center, Weekly Update|Tags: , , , |

9 Crucial Steps to Ensure You’re Prepared for Retirement

How do you envision your retirement? The answers to that question are very different and very personal for all of us. To help you prepare and decide how you want to live in your second act, you’ll need to cross some important items off your to-do list. Grab a copy of our handy checklist – organized the way we like to work with our clients – to help you visualize how far you’ve come and where you want to go. https://bit.ly/2Pm7S21

The Fed Stands Pat

2021-03-22T14:16:49-05:00March 22, 2021|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of March 22nd, 2021
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Rising bond yields and improving economic conditions led to a choppy week of trading that ended in modest losses for investors.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.46%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 declined 0.77%. The Nasdaq Composite index lost 0.79% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 1.24%.

Rising Yields
The stock market began the week on a positive note, rising on optimism over the economic re-openings and a decline in bond yields. Technology shares staged a strong turnaround from the previous week.  Following the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) meeting announcement reaffirming the Fed’s easy-money policies, the Dow Industrials and the S&P 500 recorded new record closing highs.

Markets reversed themselves on Thursday as a surge in yields sent technology and other high-growth stocks lower. During the session, the 10-year Treasury …

New Record Highs

2021-03-15T12:07:48-05:00March 15, 2021|Categories: Weekly Update|

The Weekly Update

Week of March 15th, 2021
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks touched new record highs last week as bond yields steadied, a fiscal relief bill was signed into law, and confidence in a strong economic recovery grew.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 4.07%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 tacked on 2.64%. The Nasdaq Composite index rose 3.09% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, gained 3.01%.

Dow 32,000
Stocks marched higher as bond yields leveled off and the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill moved through the legislative process. A muted inflation number and a better-than-expected jobless claims report evidenced an improving economy absent an attendant rise in inflation.

The technology sector was particularly volatile, with the Nasdaq Composite falling into correction territory to start the week as investors rotated into cyclical opportunities.

Technology rebounded strongly as bond yields stabilized and bargain hunters purchased tech names …

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