The end result of the week was green, but was there reason for it and does it tell us anything for this week?
Monday S&P 500 1.03% | NASDAQ 1.19%
Eleven major companies reported earnings, with one missing expectations. Much of the movement on Monday came as an extension of the Friday rally. A move based on the weaker than expected jobs report. Growth stocks outperformed as lower interest rates would carry a greater impact on their performance.
Tuesday S&P 500 0.13% | NASDAQ 0.10%
Twenty-three major companies reported earnings, with two missing expectations. Markets were little changed on the day. While stock stood steady, fixed income yields did slip on Tuesday. In general, this is a continuation of the last few days.
Wednesday S&P 500 0.00% | NASDAQ 0.18%
Fourteen major companies reported earnings, with three missing expectations. Mortgage rates slipped a little lower as rate hike expectations faded. The 10-year treasury rate, to the contrary, rose slightly on the day. This was a reversal of a recent trend. Not a notable enough increase to think that sentiment has changed.
Thursday S&P 500 0.51% | NASDAQ 0.27%
Eleven major companies reported earnings, with three missing expectations. Initial jobless claims came in higher than expected, but still at a muted level. The jobs data brought markets out of their two-day coma. Employment data is showing signs of softening. The hope is the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) will start getting the signals needed to start cutting rates.
Friday S&P 500 0.16% | NASDAQ 0.03%
Michigan Consumer Sentiment is projected to fall to 67.4 in May. If that holds true, it will be the lowest reading since August of 2023. This was a period where fears were high that a recession was on the horizon. The lack of earnings data and the weaker potential sentiment sent markets higher. Again, weakness is a signal of potential FRB moves.
Conclusion S&P 500 0.55% | NASDAQ 1.43%
Markets advanced for the week, albeit with little decisiveness. Market growth has all but stalled as more data is needed to entice investors. Last week’s message was clear from the FRB; they do not expect that their next move will be a hike. The focus is on the timing of a cut. Earnings data will slow down next week; however, inflation data will be in focus. It should give investors a better read on potential rate cuts later this year.
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Markets rose again last week. Is this a sustainable move north or should we expect a new low?
Monday
The S&P 500 added .75% to open the week. A light day for economic data allowed headlines to dominate. Vaccine headlines and stimulus news led to gains in value-oriented sectors.
Tuesday
Steam was lost on Tuesday as markets ended the day mixed. Job Openings increased to 6.646M in December. That was not enough to lift markets as a breather in the rally occurred. The positive data does not support the case for excessive stimulus, this could have played into Tuesday’s performance.
Wednesday
The lack of excitement was carried over from Tuesday into Wednesday. Early gains turned into losses and the S&P 500 ended the day mildly lower. Crude oil inventories fell more than expected and Consumer Price Index (CPI) data came in softer than expected. Energy and communication shares out performed on the day.
Thursday
Market activity started strong and faded quickly again. As the day progressed, markets did come back enough for the S&P 500 to post a gain. This came after back-to-back losses. Initial jobless claims reported, and they fell to 793K, one of the lowest levels since the beginning of the pandemic.
Friday
The weekend started off with a bang as markets closed out the week in the green, rising .48%. Some of the moment was on poor sentiment. That, in conjunction with jobless data from Thursday increased the likelihood of a stimulus package being completed.
Conclusion
The markets gained for the week as the S&P 500 rose 1.24%. This was not quite the gain the prior week experienced. A gain following that epic rise is, however, a win for sustainability of growth.
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Always remember that while this is a week in review, this does not trigger or relate to trading activity on your account with Financial Future Services. Broad diversification across several asset classes with a long-term holding strategy is the best strategy in any market environment.
Any and all third-party posts or responses to this blog do not reflect the views of the firm and have not been reviewed by the firm for completeness or accuracy.