The Markets (as of market close October 2, 2020) Stocks began last week on a high note, with bank and energy stocks leading the way. European shares vaulted to heights not seen in more than three months. News from a large pharmaceutical company that its COVID-19 vaccine was yielding very favorable results helped drive cyclical [...]
The Markets (as of market close September 25, 2020) The major market indexes continued their slide to begin last week. With last Monday's losses, the S&P 500 endured its longest losing streak since February, the Dow fell 1.8%, and the Nasdaq dropped for the fifth consecutive trading session. Among market sectors, commodity, industrial, and financial [...]
The Markets (as of market close September 18, 2020) Stocks rebounded to begin last week on a positive note, as each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted notable gains by the close of trading last Monday. Tech stocks surged, pushing the Nasdaq up 1.9%. Hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine moved pharmaceutical shares higher. Energy [...]
The Markets (as of market close September 11, 2020) Stocks continued to slide last Tuesday as falling tech shares pulled the Nasdaq down 4.1%. Crude oil prices plunged 7.5%, and Treasury yields sank 5.1% as money poured into bonds, driving prices higher. Investors, leery of overvaluations, continued to sell off shares. The relationship between the [...]
The Markets (as of market close August 31, 2020) The positive run for stocks continued in August as the major market indexes regularly reached all-time highs. While investors remained bullish toward equities, it wasn't always clear why. Although the economy is gradually picking up steam, it has a ways to go to reach its pre-pandemic [...]
The Markets (as of market close September 4, 2020) Stocks sagged last Monday, but not enough to dampen a banner month of returns in August. Only the Nasdaq pushed ahead to start the week as the remaining benchmark indexes lost value. Crude oil prices, Treasury yields, and the dollar all declined. Last Tuesday marked the [...]
The Markets (as of market close August 28, 2020) Last week began with a bang. The Dow climbed 1.4% to reach 28,300 for the first time since February. Investors were encouraged by word that the Trump administration may push the Food and Drug Administration to approve vaccines and treatments for the COVID-19 virus. While the [...]
The Markets (as of market close August 21, 2020) Tech stocks rallied last Monday, and the S&P 500 once again spent some of the day above its record high, only to tail off by the end of trading. The Nasdaq jumped 1.0%, thrust higher by a surge in mega-tech stocks. The Dow fell 0.3%, the [...]
The Markets (as of market close August 14, 2020) Stocks started the week mostly higher as investors anticipated additional virus stimulus relief. Value stocks, industrials, and energy shares outperformed mega-cap tech stocks last Monday. Of the benchmark indexes listed here, only the Nasdaq lost value. The S&P 500 closed the day 0.3% higher, marking the [...]
The Markets (as of market close July 31, 2020) Stocks posted gains in July in spite of gloomy news on the economic and pandemic fronts. Investors continued to trust equities despite the gross domestic product falling nearly 33.0% in the second quarter, mixed quarterly corporate earnings results, emerging pandemic hot spots, growing unemployment claims, and [...]
