Testing Support
OVERVIEW U.S. stocks got tripped up again last week as the major indices fell for a second week in a row. The S&P 500 lost 0.57%, the Dow dropped 0.07%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.47%. International stocks didn’t hold up any better. Developed country stocks fell...
Slow Delivery
This week’s featured chart is the ISM Supplier Deliveries Index. It measures whether suppliers are taking longer or shorter to deliver materials to manufacturers. It’s an inverse index, meaning a reading above 50% indicates slower delivery times, and below 50%...
Defensive Strength
For this week’s featured indicator, we show a chart of the relative performance of stocks versus bonds globally based on the relative strength line of the ACWI SHUT Index. SHUT is an acronym for Staples, Healthcare, Utilities, and Telecommunications. The ACWI...
Quiet Periods
OVERVIEW The U.S. stock market snapped a two-week winning streak last week as the S&P 500 shed 1.7% on the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2.15%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.6%, also snapping a two-week run of gains. The declines in value...
Full Recovery
This week’s chart shows the United States’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adjusted for inflation. When people talk about the “economy,” it is generally the GDP they’re referring to. GDP measures the total market value of goods produced and services provided in a...
No More Downsizing
For this week’s indicator, we present the Challenger Layoff Announcements Index. This series comes from a report produced by the outplacement firm Challenger, Grey & Christmas, Inc. It uses layoff data from various state labor departments to produce the...
Feeling Streaky
OVERVIEW U.S. stocks were mixed last week as the S&P 500 gained 0.58%, the Nasdaq increased 1.55%, and the Dow fell 0.24%. Growth stocks led the way, as the Russell 3000 Growth index rose 1.31%. Value stocks, on the other hand, fell 0.07% on the week. In...
Mega-Caps Don’t Look Back
For this week’s featured chart, we show the Russell Top 50 Total Return Index. This index measures the 50 largest companies by market capitalization in the broad-based Russell 3000 Index. Despite tracking only 50 components, this index represents roughly 40% of...
Central Bank Securities Holdings
This week’s featured indicator looks at the change in the total securities held by the world’s major central banks over time and how those changes affect global stock market returns. When Americans hear the phrase “central bank,” we typically think of the...
The Big Push
OVERVIEW The U.S. stock market once again surged to record highs last week. The S&P 500 rose 1.52%, the Dow gained 0.96%, and the Nasdaq jumped 2.82%. During the week, growth stocks had the upper hand, gaining about 2.3% versus the 1.74% gain for value...
