Market volatility continued last week as stocks fell Monday and Wednesday, only to rebound at the end of last week, but not enough to avoid closing in the red for the second week in a row. The major benchmark stock indexes lost value, with the small caps of the Russell 2000 falling the furthest. Despite the recent downturn, the indexes remain ahead year to date. Among the market sectors, only industrials and communication services closed higher, while materials and utilities shed the most value. Crude oil prices ended a losing streak, gaining nearly 4.0% last week. The dollar was flat, while gold prices slipped lower. Bond prices fluctuated throughout the week, ultimately settling lower, which drove yields higher.
Last Week’s Economic News
- While the manufacturing sector may have slowed in July, the services sector saw an expansion of business activity last month. A rise in new orders has encouraged companies to take on extra staff. Input cost inflation accelerated, but the increased costs were passed on to consumers.
- The goods and services trade deficit was $73.1 billion in June (the most recent data available), down $1.9 billion, or 2.5%, from the previous month.
- The national average retail price for regular gasoline was $3.448 per gallon on August 5.
- For the week ended August 3, there were 233,000 new claims for unemployment insurance
Eye on the Week Ahead
Inflation data for July is released this week. The Consumer Price Index dipped 0.1% in June, and investors will be looking for similar results in July. Prices producers paid, on the other hand, rose 0.2% in June.
Have a nice week!
Sincerely,
Robert G. Carpenter