A Peek Under the Hood
OVERVIEW The U.S. stock market took off and posted its second consecutive weekly gain of three percent. All 11 S&P 500 sectors ended the week higher, with the real estate sector leading the way on the back of positive housing data. Developed country stocks...
Margin Pressure
OVERVIEW The major U.S. stock indices gained more than three percent last week. Small-cap and value stocks did better than the larger growth-oriented companies for a change, but they are still vastly underperforming year-to-date. International stocks continued...
Stuck in the Middle
OVERVIEW The S&P 500 index fell 2.26 percent last week, its largest weekly decline in nearly two months. Energy, real estate, and financials were among the sectors hit the hardest. Of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors, only healthcare managed to post a...
The U.S. vs. the Rest
OVERVIEW The U.S. stock market rallied nicely last week, with the S&P 500 index gaining 3.5 percent and the Nasdaq Composite rising 6 percent. Growth and mid-cap stocks led the market higher with gains of over 5 percent each. The VIX index dropped below 30...
Testing the Waters
OVERVIEW The major U.S. stock indices ticked lower for the second week in a row last week as corporate earnings continued to show the extent of the destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The S&P 500 Index fell 0.21 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite...
Shifting Momentum
OVERVIEW The U.S. stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 Index, ended the week lower by around 1.3 percent after another teeter-totter week of trading. Implied volatility continued to drop, however, as the CBOE S&P 500 Volatility Index fell to under...
A Tale of Two Markets
OVERVIEW The U.S. stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 index, rose about three percent last week. Large-cap stocks with a growth orientation led the way higher. In particular, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained over six percent. Developed country...
Peak Credit Spreads?
OVERVIEW The major U.S. stock averages fell around two percent last week. The bulk of those losses were centered around small-cap and value stocks, which have fallen the most this year. International stocks in developed countries fell about four percent, while...
Negative Rates. It’s Not Just for the Rest of the World Anymore.
It used to be taught in finance class that nominal interest rates can’t go lower than zero, at least theoretically, because people can always just hold cash. However, in recent history, several economies around the world have seen the rates on their government...
Showing Signs of Life
OVERVIEW After a tumultuous few weeks of trading, stocks around the globe switched to rally mode last week. The MSCI All Country World Index, a measure of global stocks, rose 9.94 percent. The S&P 500 Index, which tracks the 500 largest companies in the United...
