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Pre-Holiday Optimism Lifts Markets

2024-11-25T06:21:34-06:00November 25, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Weekly Update

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

Stocks advanced last week, powering ahead with pre-holiday optimism despite geopolitical tensions and two disappointing Q3 corporate updates.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.68 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 1.73 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led, picking up 1.96 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, was flat (-0.05 percent).

Stock Push Ahead
Stocks showed mixed results during the first half of the week due to geopolitical tensions that boosted precious metals and put pressure on Treasury yields.

The Dow Industrials jumped out in front midweek and never looked back. Disappointing earnings on Tuesday from a large box retailer held back some gains in the broader S&P 500. A mixed Q3 update report from the nation’s leading AI chipmaking company also tempered gains a bit.

Year-end optimism, especially around consumers driving a healthy …

Stocks Surge Post-Election; Fed Cuts Quarter Point

2024-11-11T10:23:55-06:00November 11, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Weekly Update

Week of November 11th, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks surged higher last week, fueled by the Fed’s rate cut decision and post-election enthusiasm as investors looked to future policy impacts of a Republican-controlled Senate and executive branch. (The House of Representatives still remains officially undecided.)

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index spiked 4.65 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 5.74 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 4.61 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, was basically flat (down 0.02 percent).

Stocks Extend Rally on Election News
It was a shaky start to the week for stocks as investors anxiously awaited election results and the Fed’s interest-rate decision.

On Election Day, stocks rallied broadly before polling places closed. After the election was called early the next morning, stocks opened higher and climbed throughout the trading session. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to …

Sixth Week of Gains on Wall Street

2024-10-21T10:15:54-05:00October 21, 2024|Categories: Weekly Update|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Weekly Update

Week of October 21st, 2024
By Christopher T. Much, CFP®, AIF®

Stocks posted modest gains last week, with quarterly earnings season in full swing and the election on the horizon.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased 0.85 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.80 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.96 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, fell 0.31 percent.

Six in a Row
Stocks bolted out of the gate as the week began. The S&P 500 and the Dow Industrials hit record highs, with the Dow crossing 43,000 for the first time.

Midweek, the news of stronger-than-expected retail sales report contributed to overall market momentum. Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in September, topping economists’ forecasts.

As the week wrapped up, the technology sector helped fuel a rally that pushed the S&P and Nasdaq to another record high. It was the sixth …

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