The Markets (as of market close December 28, 2018) A crazy week of market swings finally closed with each of the benchmark indexes listed here posting gains for the first time in three weeks. Christmas Eve (Monday) saw stocks drop precipitously heading into the holiday, surely putting a damper on festivities for some investors. The Dow fell over 19% from its peak early Wednesday, only to surge by the end of the day. By week's end, each of the benchmarks listed here posted gai

The Markets (as of market close December 21, 2018) The tech-heavy Nasdaq had been the only benchmark index to have exceeded its 2017 closing value. That is no longer the case, as an 8.36% drop last week put the Nasdaq more than 8.0% below its value at the end of last year and firmly in bear market territory. Investors saw the potential of a federal government shutdown and an implied warning from the Federal Reserve that the economy may be slowing as reason to seek shelter fro

The Markets (as of market close December 14, 2018) A market correction refers to a decline in a stock or index of at least 10% following a temporary high price. After last week's losses, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq are entering correction territory. Of the benchmark indexes listed here, only the Nasdaq remains ahead of its 2017 closing price. The Russell 2000, which had pushed year-to-date gains of over 10%, now wallows more than 8.0% below last year's ending value. It appea

The Markets (as of market close December 7, 2018) Losses in technology and health-care stocks accounted for much of last week's market drop. The tech-heavy Nasdaq and the small caps of the Russell 2000 suffered the largest declines, leading a week of high market volatility. Bank and industrial stocks also took a big hit last week. Oil prices rose on news that OPEC members agreed to cut back production next year. Uncertainty over the economy and a prolonged trade dispute betwe

The Markets (as of market close November 30, 2018) Stocks rebounded last week, posting their best gains since February. The S&P 500 climbed 4.85% last week, a percentage jump not reached since the end of 2011. Overall, the large-cap indexes and the tech-heavy Nasdaq outperformed the small caps of the Russell 2000, which rebounded nicely, nevertheless. As has been the case for most of the year, foreign trade made headlines early last week as President Trump threatened to impos