Economic Update
Market Week: July 27, 2020
The Markets (as of market close July 24, 2020)
Last week started off on a high note as stocks reached levels not seen since February. The Nasdaq gained 2.5% last Monday, led by a surging Amazon and Zoom Technologies soared to a record high following the publication of positive COVID-19 vaccine results. Investors were encouraged by signs out of Washington that additional stimulus was on the way. The S&P 500 advanced 0.8% on the day while the Dow’s gain was negligible.
Market Week: July 20, 2020
The Markets (as of market close July 17, 2020)
Stocks surged early last Monday only to fall back by the end of the day. Earlier in the day, the S&P 500 reached its highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic sent equities reeling. The Nasdaq hit another record high in early trading. Unfortunately, stocks couldn’t hold their values as states hard-hit by growing numbers of reported virus cases began to rein in reopening measures. European stocks climbed last Monday as did Treasury bond yields. Crude oil prices dipped ahead of an OPEC meeting that could result in plans to ease production cuts.
Market Week: July 13, 2020
The Markets (as of market close July 10, 2020)
Last Monday proved to be a good start to the week for equities as each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted solid gains. The Nasdaq reached a record high as surging tech stocks drove that index up 2.2% for its fifth consecutive gain. The Dow finished the day up nearly 1.8%, and the S&P 500 climbed 1.6%.
Market Week: July 6, 2020
The Markets (as of market close July 3, 2020)
Domestic stocks surged last Monday, as a robust pending home sales report overshadowed an increase in COVID-19 cases. Pending sales of existing homes soared over 44% in May, a record-setting rate that should lead to gains in existing homes sales in June and July. A jump in Boeing Co. stock helped propel the S&P 500, which virtually wiped out its June losses. The small caps of the Russell 2000 climbed more than 3.0%, followed by the Dow, the S&P 500, the Nasdaq, and the Global Dow. Crude oil prices gained nearly 3.0% while bond yields were unchanged.
Quarterly Market Review: April-June 2020
The Markets (second quarter through June 30, 2020)
Stocks rebounded from a dismal March by posting their best monthly returns since 1987, as investors were encouraged by the expectation of additional government stimulus programs and hope that the economy would be reopening soon. The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act replenished the Paycheck Protection Program, providing funding for additional small business loans, and offered financial support to hospitals, while increasing the availability of more virus testing. The Federal Reserve added trillions of dollars in funds to its lending programs. Crude oil prices rose nearly 30.0%despite collapsing into negative territory on April 20. A few states began easing lockdown restrictions and reopening a range of businesses. While there were plenty of ups and downs in the market during the month, April closed with each of the benchmark indexes listed here climbing notably higher. The Nasdaq gained 15.45%, followed by the Russell 2000, the S&P 500, the Dow, and the Global Dow.
Market Week: June 22, 2020
The Markets (as of market close June 19, 2020)
Equities began the week edging higher following the Federal Reserve’s announcement that it would buy corporate bonds under an emergency lending program. The Russell 2000 closed up 2.3%, the Nasdaq gained 1.4%, while the S&P 500 and the Dow eked out gains of less than 1.0%, respectively.
Market Week: June 15, 2020
The Markets (as of market close June 12, 2020)
Last week began with a bang for stocks as each of the indexes gained well over 1.0% for the day. The S&P 500, after climbing 1.2%, has picked up nearly 45.0% since its 2020 low, pushing it into the black for the year. The Nasdaq rose to a record high while the Dow and Russell 2000 surged by close to 2.0% each. Oil prices fell marginally, and the dollar sank, as did the yield on 10-year Treasuries.
Market Week: June 8, 2020
The Markets (as of market close June 5, 2020)
Despite nationwide protests and U.S.-China tensions, stocks rose to start the week. Apparently, investors focused on progress toward economic recovery instead of other pressing issues. Of the benchmarks listed here, the small caps of the Russell 2000 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq led the way, each gaining more than 0.60% by the end of trading last Monday.
Market Week: June 1, 2020
The Markets (as of market close May 29, 2020)
With the stock market closed last Monday in observance of Memorial Day, Tuesday’s trading led to solid returns for each of the benchmark indexes listed here. The S&P 500 climbed past the 3000 mark for the first time since March, only to trickle below by the end of the day. The small caps of the Russell 2000 led the indexes after climbing 2.77%, followed by the Dow (2.17%), the Global Dow (1.96%), and the Nasdaq (0.17%). Stocks soared for most of the day, only to be tempered later on Tuesday after a report arose that President Trump was considering imposing sanctions on Chinese officials.
Market Month: May 2020
The Markets (as of market close May 29, 2020)
May saw several states and foreign countries ease restrictions put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As economies slowly picked up momentum, investors grew more confident in stocks, driving values higher. However, investor optimism was kept in check by sobering economic reports and growing tensions between the United States and China.