The Markets (as of market close March 31, 2017) Riding the momentum following the presidential election, stocks surged for much of the first quarter of 2017. Buoyed by the anticipation of tax cuts and policies favorable to domestic businesses, the benchmark indexes listed here reached historic highs throughout the quarter. At the end of January, [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 31, 2017) Stocks rebounded last week as each of the indexes listed here posted week-over-week gains. The small-cap Russell 2000, the strongest-performing index last year, hit a rough patch over the past several weeks. But the index gained over 2.30% last week, pushing it up 2.12% year-to-date. Tech-heavy [...]
The arrival of spring often signifies a time of renewal, a reminder to dust off the cobwebs and get rid of the dirt and grime that have built up throughout the winter season. And while most spring cleaning projects are likely focused on your home, you could take this time to evaluate and clean up [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 24, 2017) Uncertainty over whether Congress would pass a new health-care law, coupled with the prospects of additional interest rate hikes later in the year, may have weighed on investors' minds as stocks tumbled early last week. The S&P 500 lost over 1.0% last week for the first [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 17, 2017) Following the Fed's announcement that it was raising the target range for the federal funds rate 25 basis points, investors favored government bonds and dividend-paying stocks last week. As a result, the yield on 10-year Treasuries fell 7 basis points as prices climbed with increased demand. [...]
The Markets (as of market close March 10, 2017) Stocks rallied last Friday, fueled by a robust jobs report. However, the end-of-week surge wasn't enough to overcome index losses from earlier in the week. Falling energy prices dragged down both the large-cap Dow and S&P 500, while the Russell 2000 dropped over 2.0% and is [...]
The Markets (as of market close February 28, 2017) Equities continued their positive trend in February as each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted monthly gains. The Dow recorded 12 record highs in February and posted a monthly gain of 4.77% — its best month since November. The S&P 500 (3.72%) and Nasdaq (3.75%) [...]
The Markets (as of market close February 24, 2017) Most of the benchmark indexes listed here rallied by the close of the market last Friday to finish ahead for the week. The Dow led the way by marking its 11th consecutive day of positive gains, followed by the S&P 500, which has not experienced a [...]
The Federal Reserve's actions can have a marked influence on the economy and financial markets. For instance, some market analysts believe that the Fed's massive, multi-year bond-buying program coupled with a record-setting period of near-zero interest rates fueled the six-year bull market for stocks. Now investors are awaiting news of when -- and by how [...]
The Markets (as of market close February 10, 2017) The stock indexes listed here posted a strong week of gains as the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq each achieved record highs. Long-term bond prices also rose last week, with the yield on 10-year Treasuries falling 6 basis points. Favorable fourth-quarter corporate earnings reports, coupled with [...]
