Markets grew for the week for the first time in a month. Is it a reason to celebrate or a breather in the pullback?
Monday S&P 500 0.87% | NASDAQ 1.11%
Nine major companies reported earnings, with two missing expectations. Equities jumped to open the week. Outside of earnings data there was not much to support the rally. It was likely a jump on three consecutive weeks of down market, creating better by opportunities.
Tuesday S&P 500 1.20% | NASDAQ 1.59%
35 major companies reported earnings, with five missing expectations. Housing data came in better than expected. The heavy earnings data drove markets higher on Tuesday, pun intended. GM (GM) and Tesla (TSLA) were among reporters that helped propel markets.
Wednesday S&P 500 0.02% | NASDAQ 0.10%
40 major companies reported earnings, with six missing expectations. Core durable goods orders came in lighter than expected. Strong earnings data was counter-balanced by higher rate expectations. This left markets fairly unchanged.
Thursday S&P 500 0.46% | NASDAQ 0.64%
60 major companies reported earnings, with 13 missing expectations. GDP grew at a much slower pace than expected(1.6% vs 2.5%). Unemployment data continued to show strength. GDP and forward guidance from Meta (META) spooked markets early. They managed to climb halfway out of the hole that was dug as the earnings flowed in throughout the day.
Friday S&P 500 1.02% | NASDAQ 2.03%
13 major companies reported earnings, with five missing expectations. Consumer sentiment softened in April. Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) held steady at 2.8% in March. This is the Federal Reserve Board’s (FRB) preferred gauge of inflation. Between PCE data and earnings from Alphabet (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT) markets surged on the day.
Conclusion S&P 500 2.67% | NASDAQ 4.23%
The markets experienced a strong bounce back this last week in comparison to the last three weeks. Do not be fooled. Markets have a way to go to recapture highs as the growth did not even recover from the prior week. This indicates that there is room for markets to continue the run up as earnings season wears on. There are major hurdles this coming week with the FRB meeting, Jobs data, and Apple (AAPL) reports earnings.
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Markets shed weight for the first week in four. Is there reason to be concerned or is it transitory…
Monday
Markets opened the week on a strong note as the S&P 500 rose 0.4%. In fact, all major equity indices rose. Expectations for companies to deliver on Q2 earnings are high. The season gets underway in earnest this week.
Tuesday
The S&P 500 lost what ground in gained on Monday, on Tuesday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a proxy for inflation, expanded more than expected. The core figure (which removes fuel and food) increased 4.5% over the last 12 months. Fears of persistent inflation gripped the markets Tuesday.
Wednesday
Inflation concerns persisted as the S&P 500 gained, but small cap stocks (the darling of the re-opening trade) faded. Federal Reserve Board (FRB) Chair Powell was testifying before congress and did his best to assuage investors’ fears about inflation.
Thursday
Markets lost on Thursday as the FRB made mention that it may increase interest rates sooner than investors are anticipating. The S&P and the NASDAQ, both lost as the Dow gained.
Friday
The S&P 500 lost ground on Friday (0.8%) as concerns rose regarding the stability of this new expansion. Michigan Consumer Sentiment was projected to fall 5 points, bringing it down to a level not seen since February. The hesitation as well as rising inflation concerns are looking like they could curb consumers. Less consumption, means less profits…
Conclusion
Transitory, transitory, transitory… The word of the year, as the FRB is messaging that they see the current inflationary pressures as… transitory. They expect it to stay confined to the next 12 months or so. The persistence of COVID globally, may derail ‘transitory’. The US is largely an importer of goods. Even if we get a grip on COVID domestically, international struggles will hamper supply lines and cause inflation to persist.
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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.