November 4, 2019 – More Historic Highs
The Week on Wall Street A better-than-forecast jobs report prompted a stock market rally Friday, two days after traders witnessed another interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite ended the week at historic peaks, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average settled less than 12 points under its all-time […]
October 14, 2019 – Trade Winds Move the Market
The Week on Wall Street Stock prices pushed higher last week, as investors remained hyper-focused on any new developments with the U.S. trade negotiations with China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average picked up 0.91%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 0.62%. The Nasdaq Composite index gained 0.93% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, […]
October 21, 2019 – Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500 Rise
The Week on Wall Street Earnings helped give the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 a slight lift last week, offsetting investor disappointment over the small scope of the preliminary U.S.-China trade deal reached on October 11. Blue chips took a small weekly loss. The Nasdaq and S&P respectively gained 0.40% and 0.54% on the week. […]
October 28, 2019 – S&P 500 Nearly Makes History
The Week on Wall Street The S&P 500 came within 0.1% of a record close Friday. Stocks were lifted last week by positive news on U.S.-China trade negotiations, plus earnings announcements. The Nasdaq Composite posted the largest weekly gain of the three major U.S. stock indices. It rose 1.90%. Last week also brought gains of […]
October 7, 2019 – Special Update: Quarterly Report
The Week on Wall Street The fourth quarter started with a mixed week for equities. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.92% for the week; the S&P 500, 0.33%. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite improved 0.54%. Overseas stocks pulled back: the MSCI EAFE index dipped 2.60%.[1][2] The Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing Purchasing Manager Index […]
Reasons for Optimism
We wish you a happy New Year and hope you were able to close out 2022 with friends and family. The beginning of a calendar year is often the time when the previous year’s reflections transition to a new year’s hopes. Given the market’s continued instability during 2022 and a resulting tough period for stock […]
SECURE Act 2.0: An Overview
In the final days of 2022, Congress passed a new set of retirement rules designed to make it easier to contribute to retirement plans and access those funds earmarked for retirement. The law is called SECURE 2.0, and it’s a follow-up to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, passed in 2019. […]
September 16, 2019 – Dow Logs 8-Day Win Streak
The Week on Wall Street Stocks edged toward all-time peaks during a relatively calm week marked by easing trade tensions. Friday marked the eighth straight daily advance for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.[1] Small-cap shares, as tracked by the Russell 2000 index, rose 4.85% in five days. The S&P 500 improved 0.96% for the week, […]
September 23, 2019 – Stocks Stage a Modest Retreat
The Week on Wall Street Investors reacted to two major news items last week, one far more of a surprise than the other. The Federal Reserve did indeed make a rate cut, matching Wall Street expectations. Drone strikes on two of the world’s largest oil fields brought a shock to the global oil market. At […]
September 3, 2019 – Stocks Rally as August Ends
The Week on Wall Street Fears of an impasse in the U.S.-China trade dispute lessened last week. While additional U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports were scheduled to take effect on September 1, China’s government communicated that it would refrain from taking retaliatory measures for the moment. U.S. stock benchmarks advanced during the week. The S&P […]