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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 …