U.S. Markets Stock prices climbed higher in June, as investors looked beyond an increase in COVID-19 cases as well as reports that several states planned to slow the pace of their economic re-opening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.69%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index tacked on 1.84%. The Nasdaq Composite, already up … Continue reading “July 2020 | Monthly Economic Update”

U.S. Markets Stocks rebounded sharply in April, fueled by a flattening pandemic curve and positive results from a clinical trial investigating a treatment for COVID-19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which dropped 1% in March, jumped 11.08%. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 12.68%, and the NASDAQ Composite surged 15.45%.1 Slowdown in Infections Just … Continue reading “May 2020 | Monthly Economic Update”

THE MONTH IN BRIEF The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been signed into law, bringing relief to millions of Americans, most of whom are expected to be quarantined for at least another month. The White House has asked Americans to continue “socially distancing” during the month of April. Volatility continued in … Continue reading “April 2020 | Monthly Economic Update”

THE MONTH IN BRIEF In February, anxieties about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) rippled through stock, bond, and commodity markets. Stories about the disease dominated the news cycle and concerns that a pandemic might occur hurt equities. The S&P 500 slipped 8.41% for the month, and foreign stock markets also retreated. Oil tumbled below $50. Away … Continue reading “March 2020 | Monthly Economic Update”

THE MONTH IN BRIEF Early January gains gave way to late January losses as the coronavirus emerged as a global health concern, and correspondingly, a concern for the investment markets. The S&P 500 ended up retreating 0.16% for the month. The coronavirus outbreak was just one of the big stories in January: President Trump signed … Continue reading “February 2020 | Monthly Economic Update”

THE QUARTER IN BRIEF Movement in U.S.-China trade negotiations, an accommodative Federal Reserve, evidence of decent economic growth – all this brought some fourth-quarter tailwinds to Wall Street. The S&P 500 advanced 8.53% in the final three months of the year. Foreign stock markets also posted Q4 gains, and some clarity emerged regarding the Brexit. … Continue reading “January 2020 | Quarterly Economic Update”

THE MONTH IN BRIEF For most of November, the stock market was plagued by the same skepticism evident in October: the sense that corporate profits were declining and economic growth was slowing. Then Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell threw investors a line: he delivered a speech late in the month that soothed some of the … Continue reading “December 2018 | Monthly Economic Update”

THE MONTH IN BRIEF The S&P 500 rose 3.4% in November and attained a series of record closes in the process. Earnings results helped stocks, as did intermittent signals that the first stage of a U.S.-China trade agreement might be near at hand. Job creation improved, and consumer spending lived up to market expectations; consumer … Continue reading “December 2019 | Monthly Economic Update”

THE MONTH IN BRIEF Investors and traders found much to like in October. The S&P 500 gained 2.04% during the month, topping 3,000 again. The Federal Reserve made its third interest rate cut of the year. Word came that the U.S. and China could be headed toward the first phase of a new, bilateral trade … Continue reading “November 2019 | Monthly Economic Update”

THE QUARTER IN BRIEF Summer doldrums? Not exactly. The third quarter brought a number of attention-getting events, and while investors took some cues from them in the short term, Wall Street’s confidence remained – the S&P 500 rose 1.19% in Q3. The abrupt devaluation of the Chinese yuan shocked traders, and shifting Treasury yields also … Continue reading “October 2019 | Quarterly Economic Update”