The Markets (as of market close August 9, 2019) Fearful that the ongoing trade war between the United States and China could slow economic growth at home and abroad, investors have pulled money from stocks and adopted a "wait-and-see" approach. Not only has the trade war impacted the market, but further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve that were anticipated earlier this summer, now may not be in the offing. While the benchmark indexes are still well ahead of their 20

The Markets (as of market close August 2, 2019) Not even a strong labor report could save stocks from tumbling last week, likely in response to President Trump's tweet that he intended to raise tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese imports beginning next month. Trading volume spiked last week as did volatility, with the Cboe Volatility Index® hitting its highest level since May. Rising trade tensions between the economic giants sent global stocks reeling whil

The Markets (as of market close July 26, 2019) Strong earnings reports plus a favorable gross domestic product report were enough to boost stocks last week. The S&P 500 notched a new record high last week, as did the Nasdaq. The GDP expanded at an annualized rate of 2.1% in the second quarter as consumer spending (which accounts for about two-thirds of the economy) soared. Several large companies reported strong earnings, although Amazon's run of record earnings came to an en

The Markets (as of market close July 19, 2019) Each of the benchmark indexes listed here closed last week in the red. Energy stocks dropped as oil prices fell. Stocks in communication services and transportation also declined, impacting the large-cap indexes. Comments from the Fed pointed to signs of economic distress, and leaned toward a possible rate cut later this month. The small caps of the Russell 2000 dipped the most last week, followed by the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, e

The Markets (as of market close July 12, 2019) Both the Dow and the S&P 500 reached new record highs last week. The Dow surged past 27000 for the first time, while the S&P 500 surpassed the 3000 threshold. Anticipated testimony from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell lent credence to the expected interest rate cut at the end of the month. Powell indicated that "uncertainties around trade tensions and concerns about the strength of the global economy continue to weigh on the U.S. econ

The Markets (as of market close July 5, 2019) Last week, June's labor report was strong enough to likely prompt the Fed to hold interest rates at their current level (and forestall a rate cut). Feeding off the latest labor figures, stocks pushed ahead during the holiday-shortened week as each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains. The Nasdaq led the way, gaining close to 2.0%, followed by the large caps of the S&P 500 and the Dow, each of which enjoyed a solid wee

The Markets (as of market close June 28, 2019) With a strong close last Friday, stocks recovered most of the losses endured earlier last week. Only the Russell 2000 posted a weekly gain, and has climbed over 16% year-to-date. The other benchmark indexes listed here lost value, but not as much as it could have been. The Dow had the worst week, falling almost 0.50%, followed by the Nasdaq, the S&P 500, and the Global Dow, which fell 0.23%. Investors may be waiting for the meeti

The Markets (as of market close June 21, 2019) Stocks enjoyed another week of strong growth as investors were encouraged by the Fed's decision to keep interest rates unchanged and hope for a resolution to the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted solid gains last week, led by the Nasdaq and the Global Dow. During the week, the S&P 500 reached a record high, as did the Dow — this despite growing tensions between

The Markets (as of market close June 14, 2019) While not as robust as the prior week, stocks still managed to post gains for the second week in a row. Last week started off with a bang for the benchmark indexes listed here, only to slip lower by Friday as tensions in the Middle East mounted. After getting pummeled in May, stocks have slowly regained some momentum during the early part of June. Year-to-date gains for each of the indexes listed here are in double digits, except

The Markets (as of market close June 7, 2019) Markets rebounded nicely last week on hopes that the Federal Reserve Board will cut interest rates in the near future. Early in the week, chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed was closely watching trade developments and signaled rate cuts may be an option if the economic outlook worsens. And on Friday, a weak jobs report supported the possibility of future rate cuts, further encouraging investors. All the indexes tracked here climbe