Weekly Economic Updates

The Markets (as of market close November 15, 2024) Last week saw stocks close markedly lower as short-term traders were discouraged by hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve Chair, who put a damper on the likelihood of another interest rate… Read More

The Markets (as of market close November 8, 2024) Traders had plenty to think about last week as they focused on the results of the presidential election and the Federal Reserve’s move to further reduce interest rates. The major benchmark… Read More

The Markets (as of market close November 1, 2024) Wall Street saw stocks end October with a whimper, although equities began November on a high note. The major benchmark stock indexes closed last week lower, except the Russell 2000. A… Read More

The Markets (as of market close October 25, 2024) Tech shares helped the NASDAQ close up last week, but the other major stock indexes didn’t fare as well. Renewed concerns about the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy dampened investor appetite… Read More

The Markets (as of market close October 18, 2024) Wall Street marked another week of gains, with the major stock benchmark indexes climbing higher. The Dow and the S&P 500 attained new records, while the NASDAQ rode a spurt in… Read More

The Markets (as of market close October 11, 2024) The markets faced a mix of uncertainty and optimism last week, with traders digesting a wave of economic news and geopolitical developments. Tensions in the Middle East continued to weigh on… Read More

The Markets (as of market close October 4, 2024) Investors were confronted with plenty of market-moving information last week as they waded through negative developments and some positive signs. Growing tensions in the Middle East and a slowdown in the… Read More

The Markets (as of market close September 27, 2024) Wall Street enjoyed a solid week of gains following a rough start to the month. All the Major stock benchmark indexes advanced, with the exception of the Russell 2000, which is… Read More

The Markets (as of market close September 20, 2024) The interest rate decrease by the Federal Reserve helped drive stocks higher last week. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here closed higher, led by the Russell 2000. Communication services, energy,… Read More

The Markets (as of market close September 13, 2024) Equities rallied notably last week as investors awaited this week’s Federal Reserve meeting in anticipation of at least a 25.0-basis-point reduction in interest rates. Nine of the 11 market sectors ended… Read More

The Markets (as of market close September 6, 2024) September has clearly gotten off to a rough start for Wall Street. Stocks plunged lower on fears of an economic decline and a waning labor market. Investors feared that the Federal… Read More

The Markets (as of market close August 30, 2024) Despite moments of trepidation, the stock market extended its winning streak to three straight weeks. Even with its rough start, August marked the fourth month in a row of positive returns…. Read More

The Markets (as of market close August 23, 2024) Traders finally heard what they had been waiting for after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave clear indications that the central bank will lower interest rates in September. Powell noted that… Read More

The Markets (as of market close August 16, 2024) Wall Street rebounded after a rough start to the month to close out its best week of the year. Traders saw a lot of economic data that did little to change… Read More

The Markets (as of market close August 9, 2024) 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… Read More

The Markets (as of market close August 2, 2024) Wall Street experienced a notable downturn last week, with the major benchmark stock indexes closing sharply in the red. A weaker-than-expected jobs report, rising unemployment claims, disappointing corporate earnings from major… Read More

The Markets (as of market close July 26, 2024) Stocks were mixed last week, with the Dow and the Russell 2000 adding value, while the Nasdaq, the S&P 500, and the Global Dow ended the week in the red. Tech… Read More

The Markets (as of market close July 19, 2024) The market saw stocks come in with mixed returns. The Dow and the Russell 2000 advanced, while the Nasdaq, the S&P 500, and the Global Dow lost value. The Dow reached… Read More

The Markets (as of market close July 12, 2024) Stock traders were encouraged by the most recent inflation data, raising expectations of an interest rate cut in September. The major benchmark stock indexes closed the week in the black, led… Read More

The Markets (as of market close July 5, 2024) The stock market fared quite nicely during the Fourth of July week. All the major benchmark indexes posted gains, with the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 reaching record highs a few… Read More

The Markets (as of market close June 28, 2024) Stocks closed generally higher for the week, with the Russell 2000, the Nasdaq, and the Global Dow posting gains, while the large caps of the Dow and the S&P 500 declined…. Read More

The Markets (as of market close June 21, 2024) Wall Street rode a rally in tech and AI stocks for most of last week. The end of the week saw a bit of a downturn, but not enough to keep… Read More

The Markets (as of market close June 14, 2024) U.S. stocks outpaced the rest of the world last week as global traders sought relief from the turmoil caused by European elections. Tech stocks carried the market as traders digested a… Read More

The Markets (as of market close June 7, 2024) Despite a dip at the end of the week, stocks closed last week generally higher, apart from the economically sensitive small caps of the Russell 2000. A robust jobs report at… Read More

The Markets (as of market close May 31, 2024) Equities generally closed lower by the end of the week with, the Nasdaq and the Dow falling furthest among the major stock benchmark indexes. The Russell 2000 and the Global Dow… Read More

The Markets (as of market close May 24, 2024) Tech shares, particularly AI stocks, helped push the Nasdaq, and to a much lesser extent, the S&P 500 higher last week. The Dow, the Russell 2000, and the Global Dow declined…. Read More

The Markets (as of market close May 17, 2024) Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq advanced for the fourth straight week, which is the first time that has happened since February. Not to be outdone, the Dow advanced for… Read More

The Markets (as of market close May 10, 2024) The market closed last week higher. Trader sentiment was bolstered by good corporate earnings results from key megacaps. Of the 459 companies of the S&P 500 that have reported earnings, 77%… Read More

The Markets (as of market close May 3, 2024) The markets enjoyed a solid week of gains on the heels of favorable corporate earnings data and a softer-than-expected employment report. Traders could be viewing the dip in job hires and… Read More

The Markets (as of market close April 26, 2024) Stocks closed last week higher, driven up by tech and communication shares. All the major stock benchmark indexes climbed higher, led by the Nasdaq, which rose more than 4.0%. With nearly… Read More

The Markets (as of market close April 19, 2024) Wall Street experienced a down week as tech shares, which had been the bellwether of the bull market, retreated from selloffs as traders worried about rising tensions in the Middle East… Read More

The Markets (as of market close April 12, 2024) Stocks faltered for the second straight week as traders dealt with market-moving inflation data and a less-than-impressive start to first-quarter corporate earnings season. Both the Consumer Price Index and the Producer… Read More

The Markets (as of market close April 5, 2024) Despite a late-week surge, stocks closed lower last week. Traders saw the continued strength of the labor market as increasing the chances of a soft landing for the economy, while potentially… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 29, 2024) Stocks finished the month of March in solid fashion. The major benchmark stock indexes posted gains, except for the Nasdaq. Bond yields dipped lower. Crude oil prices advanced, with energy shares… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 22, 2024) Despite a dip last Friday, stocks closed out last week higher. The S&P 500 recorded its biggest weekly percentage gain of the year, while the Dow and the Nasdaq hit record… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 15, 2024) Equities closed lower for the second straight week, with the Russell 2000 losing nearly 2.0%. A sell-off in tech shares pulled the Nasdaq down 0.7%, marking the first back-to-back weekly losses… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 8, 2024) Wall Street fell from record highs to close generally lower last week. A better-than-expected jobs report helped support the notion that the economy remains strong and that the Federal Reserve will… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 1, 2024) Wall Street continued its February rally into March as stocks closed last week notably higher except for the Dow, which ticked lower. Traders’ enthusiasm about tech shares, particularly AI stocks, helped… Read More

The Markets (as of market close February 23, 2024) Stocks advanced last week, driven higher by tech shares that were bolstered by favorable corporate earnings reports. The Dow, the Nasdaq, and the S&P 500 posted weekly gains for the 16th… Read More

The Markets (as of market close February 16, 2024) Rising inflation heightened traders’ concerns that the Federal Reserve may not consider lowering interest rates during the first half of the year. Among the major stock benchmark indexes, only the small… Read More

The Markets (as of market close February 9, 2024) Stocks closed higher last week, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq reaching record highs. Traders were encouraged by generally favorable fourth-quarter corporate earnings data and a downwardly revised Consumer Price… Read More

The Markets (as of market close February 2, 2024) A strong labor report and solid earnings data from megatech companies helped drive stocks higher last week. The major stock benchmark indexes posted solid gains except for the Russell 2000. Nine… Read More

The Markets (as of market close January 26, 2024) Stocks closed higher last week, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq reaching record highs. Traders spent most of the week parsing through corporate earnings results and important economic data. Among… Read More

The Markets (as of market close January 19, 2024) Wall Street closed the holiday-shortened week generally higher, with most major stock market indexes posting gains, except for the Russell 2000 and the Global Dow. The surge in stocks was driven… Read More

The Markets (as of market close January 12, 2024) Wall Street saw stocks close higher last week, despite dampening hopes of an interest rate reduction. All major benchmark stock indexes rebounded from a slow start to the year by adding… Read More

The Markets (as of market close January 5, 2024) After pulling off a surprisingly strong rally in the fourth quarter of 2023, the stock market took a break during the first week of the new year. All major stock indexes… Read More

The Markets (as of market close December 29, 2023) The markets closed out last week and the year with gains, despite losing steam at the end of the week. All the major benchmark stock indexes ended last week higher, except… Read More

The Markets (as of market close December 22, 2023) Stocks notched their eighth straight week of gains heading into the holiday-shortened week. While trading was generally light, traders remained bullish toward stocks as they clung to the hope that the… Read More

The Markets (as of market close December 15, 2023) Last week saw stocks rally after the Federal Reserve policy statement released last Wednesday suggested no more interest rate hikes, while predicting rate cuts in 2024. Despite losing momentum at the… Read More

The Markets (as of market close December 8, 2023) The first week of December saw stocks close higher. Megacaps fueled much of the increase. A better-than-expected jobs report encouraged trader sentiment about a soft landing for the economy, while cooling… Read More

The Markets (as of market close December 1, 2023) The markets continued to flourish last week. Traders were not deterred by a warning from the Federal Reserve Chairperson that interest rate hikes may not be over, and it is premature… Read More

The Markets (as of market close November 24, 2023) Market activity was subdued during Thanksgiving week, which saw stocks close higher. All the major benchmark indexes gained ground, led by the large caps of the Dow and the S&P 500…. Read More

The Markets (as of market close November 17, 2023) The market enjoyed a favorable week as the benchmark indexes gained ground. Inflation data showed consumer prices moderated in October, while the Federal government avoided a shutdown. Over the last three… Read More

The Markets (as of market close November 10, 2023) Stocks closed generally higher last week on continued hopes that the Federal Reserve is done raising interest rates despite more hawkish comments from Fed Chair. Tech and growth stocks carried the… Read More

The Markets (as of market close November 3, 2023) Wall Street ended a two-week bear run as stocks enjoyed their best week of the year. Major benchmark stock indexes posted solid gains, while bond yields declined, dragged lower by escalating… Read More

The Markets (as of market close October 27, 2023) Last week saw Wall Street experience additional lackluster performance. Traders continued to fret over hawkish comments from Federal Reserve officials as inflation remained above the Fed’s target rate of 2.0%. In… Read More

The Markets (as of market close October 20, 2023) Last week proved to be a rough one for the market as investors fled from equities following Federal Reserve Chair’s indication that interest rates would remain higher for longer. The escalation… Read More

The Markets (as of market close October 13, 2023) Wall Street closed last week with mixed results. The Nasdaq and the Russell 2000 closed lower, while the Dow, the S&P 500, and the Global Dow edged higher. Several big banks… Read More

The Markets (as of market close October 6, 2023) The market ended last week with mixed results. The tech-heavy Nasdaq made it two straight weeks of gains, while the S&P 500 also ended the week in the black. Other major… Read More

The Markets (as of market close September 29, 2023) The market returned mixed results last week, with the Russell 2000 and the Nasdaq advancing, while the Global Dow, the Dow, and the S&P 500 shed value. Bond prices fell, pushing… Read More

The Markets (as of market close September 22, 2023) Last week was a tough one for the markets. The major stock indexes all fell, with the Nasdaq notching its largest weekly decline since March. Many of the market sectors decreased,… Read More

The Markets (as of market close September 15, 2023) The markets turned in a lackluster week, with only the Dow able to eke out a gain. Other major benchmark indexes lost value as investors tried to digest mixed economic data,… Read More

The Markets (as of market close September 8, 2023) Wall Street saw stocks slide lower last week, with the major benchmark indexes closing in the red. Trading was choppy throughout the holiday-shortened week as traders anticipated this week’s inflation data…. Read More

The Markets (as of market close September 1, 2023) The markets enjoyed their best week since June, with the major benchmark indexes posting solid gains. The latest jobs report showed the labor market has slowed over the past few months,… Read More

The Markets (as of market close August 25, 2023) Last week saw Wall Street generally close with a mixed bag of results. The Nasdaq, the S&P 500, and the Global Dow ended the week higher, while the Dow and the… Read More

The Markets (as of market close August 18, 2023) After another week of strong economic data, traders seemed to accept that the Fed may not be done lifting interest rates after all — and that Wall Street might have started… Read More

The Markets (as of market close August 11, 2023) The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq fell for the second straight week, while the Dow outperformed the benchmark indexes. Stocks have been relatively soft so far in August, which is not… Read More

The Markets (as of market close August 4, 2023) Stocks endured a losing week for the first time since early July. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq showed the steepest weekly declines since March. Traders dealt with the downgrade of… Read More

The Markets (as of market close July 28, 2023) Stocks enjoyed a favorable week of returns, with the major benchmark stock indexes posting solid gains. The Dow and the S&P 500 notched their third straight week of gains. Inflation continued… Read More

The Markets (as of market close July 21, 2023) Last week saw stocks close generally higher, with only the tech-heavy Nasdaq slipping lower. The Dow extended its winning streak to 10 straight sessions, its longest run since August 2017. Traders,… Read More

The Markets (as of market close July 14, 2023) Wall Street enjoyed a positive week of returns, with the major benchmark stock indexes posting solid gains, despite a marginal downturn at the end of last week. The financial sector began… Read More

The Markets (as of market close July 7, 2023) Stocks fell for the second straight week, with all of the major benchmark stock indexes losing ground. The Dow led the declines, followed by the Global Dow, the Russell 2000, the… Read More

The Markets (as of market close June 30, 2023) Stocks moved higher last week as favorable inflation data added to investor hopes that the Federal Reserve would relax its monetary policy, despite the Fed Chair’s statement that at least two… Read More

The Markets (as of market close June 23, 2023) Recession fears sent stocks lower during the holiday-shortened week. All the major stock benchmark indexes closed in the red, with the small caps of the Russell 2000 and the Global Dow… Read More

The Markets (as of market close June 16, 2023) Stocks advanced for the third straight week, as all the major benchmark stock indexes climbed higher. Inflationary pressures may finally be subsiding, according to the latest data (see below). In addition,… Read More

The Markets (as of market close June 9, 2023) Stocks closed another week higher, with all the major stock benchmark indexes posting gains. With last week’s advance, the Nasdaq has risen for seven consecutive weeks, while the S&P 500 hit… Read More

The Markets (as of market close June 2, 2023) Stocks began the week on a downturn but rallied later to end last week higher. All of the major benchmark stock indexes posted solid weekly gains, led by the Russell 2000,… Read More

The Markets (as of market close May 26, 2023) Wall Street ended last week with mixed returns. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 were pushed higher by tech shares and artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. The Global Dow, the Dow, and… Read More

The Markets (as of market close May 19, 2023) Most of last week, traders seemed to react to negotiations concerning the debt ceiling. Despite a lackluster ending to the week, stocks closed generally higher. Tech shares climbed nearly 4.0%, while… Read More

The Markets (as of market close May 12, 2023) Stocks trended lower last week, with only the Nasdaq able to eke out a gain. Traders remained pensive as they await negotiations on the debt ceiling. With roughly 92% of the… Read More

The Markets (as of market close May 5, 2023) Stocks closed last week generally lower, with only the Nasdaq eking out a minimal gain. A rally last Friday wasn’t enough to recoup losses experienced during the week. Traders had quite… Read More

The Markets (as of market close April 28, 2023) Stocks ended the week higher as strong corporate earnings data helped offset worries of another round of interest rate hikes, following the Federal Reserve’s meeting this week. All major stock benchmark… Read More

The Markets (as of market close April 21, 2022) Stocks were relatively listless last week, with only the Russell 2000 posting a gain of 0.6%. The Nasdaq, the Dow, and the Global Dow fell between 0.2% and 0.4%, while the… Read More

The Markets (as of market close April 14, 2022) Traders spent much of last week contemplating the impact of the latest inflation data and the first batch of first-quarter bank earnings. The process of disinflation continued, and retail sales softened… Read More

The Markets (as of market close April 7, 2022) Last week, most financial markets closed for Good Friday, although bond markets were open until noon. Stocks ended last week with mixed results, with the Dow and the Global Dow adding… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 31, 2022) Equities closed the week and month higher. Stocks posted gains in four of the five sessions last week, with the Global Dow and the Russell 2000 leading the way. The Nasdaq… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 24, 2022) Stock traders were on edge for most of the week, with concerns about banking, rising interest rates, inflation, and volatile stock and bond markets. Treasury yields dipped to their lowest levels… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 17, 2022) Stocks closed mostly higher during a volatile week. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 led all the major benchmark indexes, while the Dow, the Russell 2000, and the Global Dow declined… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 10, 2022) Entering last week, traders were poised to review the latest employment data and its potential impact on the course of the Federal Reserve. Instead, last Friday saw financial regulators close Silicon… Read More

The Markets (as of market close March 3, 2022) A late rally sent stocks higher by the end of last week. All the major benchmark indexes gained nearly 2.0%, with the Nasdaq climbing 2.6% to lead the way. The large… Read More

The Markets (as of market close February 24, 2022) Wall Street reacted negatively to hotter-than-expected inflation data at the end of last week. All the benchmark indexes closed lower, with the Nasdaq falling more than 3.3%, while the remaining indexes… Read More

The Markets (as of market close February 17, 2022) Stock market traders spent much of last week overreacting to the impact of the latest inflation data and favorable economic reports. Consumer prices, producer prices, and export prices rose in January,… Read More

The Markets (as of market close February 10, 2022) Stocks dipped lower last week as traders mulled the direction of the economy as the Federal Reserve continued to increase interest rates, bolstered by January’s strong labor report. With fourth-quarter corporate… Read More

The Markets (as of market close February 3, 2022) Just when traders saw a glimmer of hope that the Fed would soften its rate-hike policy, the January labor figures came out showing a massive job increase coupled with moderated wage… Read More

The Markets (as of market close January 27, 2022) Wall Street ended last week higher on favorable inflation, economic, and corporate earnings data. Traders now must await the Federal Reserve’s meeting this week to see whether the Fed will soften… Read More

The Markets (as of market close January 20, 2022) Last week saw stocks slide lower, despite a rally last Friday. Only the tech-heavy Nasdaq was able to post a gain among the major benchmark indexes. Throughout the week, traders had… Read More

The Markets (as of market close January 13, 2022) Stocks advanced for the second week in a row to kick off 2023. Traders were encouraged by inflation data that showed prices slid lower in December. The interest-rate-sensitive Nasdaq posted gains… Read More

The Markets (as of market close January 6, 2022) Last Friday’s rally helped drive stocks higher to end the first full week of January. Traders apparently saw a deceleration in November and December average hourly earnings (see jobs report below)… Read More

The Markets (as of market close December 30, 2022) A late-week surge in dip buying wasn’t enough to save stocks from closing the last week of 2022 in the red. Only the Russell 2000 and the Global Dow managed to… Read More

The Markets (as of market close December 23, 2022) Stocks ended a turbulent week generally lower as traders digested the latest inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s possible response. Of the major benchmark indexes, only the Dow and the Global… Read More