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Featured Article: Markets Increase
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Berry Coconut Crumble
Tax Tips
Golf Tips
Healthy Lifestyle
Green Living
Markets Increase
Markets were closed on March 30 for Good Friday, but in the four days of trading, stocks recovered some of this year’s losses. For the week, the S&P 500 added 2.09%, the Dow gained 2.67%, and the NASDAQ increased by 1.03%. International stocks in the MSCI EAFE grew 0.81%.
Last week also marked the end of the year’s 1st quarter. Our next market update will share a recap of key performance details and events from January through March.
In this report, we will consider findings from last week and offer some perspective on the data.
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Featured Article: Stocks Drop as Tariffs Rise
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Jump Start Smoothies
Tax Tips
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Healthy Lifestyle
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Stocks Drop as Tariffs Rise
Markets experienced significant declines last week. The S&P 500 lost 5.95%, the Dow dropped 5.66%, and the NASDAQ declined 6.54%. With these losses, all 3 domestic indexes had their worst weekly performance in more than 2 years. International stocks also declined, with the MSCI EAFE giving back 2.64%.
What caused markets to stumble in this way? While various economic reports came out and the Federal Reserve raised rates again, another topic triggered the declines: trade war concerns.
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Featured Article: A Look Back
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Citrus & Mint Berries
Tax Tips
Golf Tips
Healthy Lifestyle
Green Living
A Look Back
Markets were up on Friday, but domestic stocks lost ground for the week as political turmoil and potential trade wars weighed on investors’ minds. The S&P 500 dropped 1.24%, the Dow gave back 1.54%, and the NASDAQ decreased 1.04%. International stocks in the MSCI EAFE barely avoided losses with a 0.13% gain.
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Featured Article: Goldilocks Returns
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Flatbread Cubano Sandwiches
Tax Tips
Golf Tips
Healthy Lifestyle
Green Living
Goldilocks Returns
Domestic stocks leapt ahead last week as the latest jobs report inspired renewed confidence in our economic standing. The S&P 500 added 3.54%, and the Dow gained 3.25%. The NASDAQ erased its losses from February’s market correction to hit a new record close while growing 4.17% for the week. International stocks in the MSCI EAFE increased by 1.79%.
In addition to solid stock growth, Friday, March 9, also brought a significant milestone in the markets: the 9th anniversary of our current bull market. The Dow is now in the midst of its longest-ever bull run, and the S&P 500’s bull market is its 2nd-longest and -largest ever.
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Featured Article: Volatile Markets Continue
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Soy-Glazed Cod & Bok Choy
Tax Tips
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Healthy Lifestyle
Green Living
Volatile Markets Continue
Volatility continued last week as markets posted their 1st weekly loss in 3 weeks. Despite some recovery on Friday, the S&P 500 dropped 2.04%, the NASDAQ slipped 1.12%, and the Dow lost 3.05% for the week. Internationally, the MSCI EAFE fell 2.91%.
Last week’s ups-and-downs began with continued questions over whether the Fed will raise interest rates. By the week’s end, however, rumors of an international trade war dominated the attention of investors.
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Featured Article: Interest Rates, Treasuries, & Inflation
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Sausage & White Bean Bake
Tax Tips
Golf Tips
Healthy Lifestyle
Green Living
Interest Rates, Treasuries, & Inflation
Last week, the Presidents’ Day holiday meant markets were only open for 4 trading days, and during that time, we received comparatively few economic reports. Nonetheless, major domestic indexes showed considerable volatility and posted losses for 3 straight days. By Friday, however, stocks rebounded and ended the week in positive territory. For the week, the S&P 500 gained 0.55%, the Dow added 0.36%, and the NASDAQ was up 1.35%. International stocks in the MSCI EAFE lost ground, dropping 0.50%.
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Featured Article: Stocks Rebound
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Skillet Turket Pot Pie
Tax Tips
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Healthy Lifestyle
Green Living
Stocks Rebound
Markets rebounded last week, posting sizable gains and moving back into positive territory for the year. All three domestic indexes experienced their largest weekly growth in years, despite losing some ground on Friday after news of additional indictments in the Russia investigation.
By markets’ close on February 16, the S&P 500 added 4.30%, the Dow was up 4.25%, and the NASDAQ increased 5.31 International stocks in the MSCI EAFE also gained 4.18% for the week. This performance, however, did not come from simple, straightforward increases. Instead, the volatility from recent weeks continued. In fact, the S&P 500 lost or gained at least 1% on 8 of the past 10 trading days. The index only experienced that movement level 8 times throughout 2017.
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Featured Article: Understanding Volatility
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Lemony Salmon Piccata
Tax Tips
Golf Tips
Healthy Lifestyle
Green Living
Understanding Volatility
After months of relative calm, market fluctuations are causing many investors to wonder what is happening to the economy. Last week, the S&P 500 lost 5.16%, the Dow dropped 5.21%, and the NASDAQ declined 5.06%. The MSCI EAFE also gave back 6.19%. These losses pushed all four indexes into negative territory for the year. In addition, the weekly performance included significant volatility, as stocks had large fluctuations both within days and from one day to the next. The Dow, for example, lost over 1000 points twice during the week-and also twice gained over 300 points.
During times like these, viewing events in their proper context is imperative. This week, we are going beyond our typical market update in an effort to provide you with clarity and perspective.
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Featured Article: Markets Slide as Bond Yields Rise
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Fiesta Nacho Casserole
Tax Tips
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Markets Slide as Bond Yields Rise
After 4 straight weeks of gains, the markets have slipped. As of Friday, the S&P 500 lost 3.85%, the Dow dropped 4.12%, and the NASDAQ decreased by 3.53%. International stocks in the MSCI EAFE also took a 2.78% hit. Domestically, the losses spanned sectors and asset classes. For the S&P 500, all 11 of the index’s industries lost ground last week. This decline came after the S&P 500 had its best January performance in over 20 years.
So, what happened?
Looking at the markets’ sizable losses, you might expect that discouraging economic data came out last week-or some geopolitical drama spooked investors. On the contrary, the drops came in response to news that seems positive on the surface: Job and wage growth are picking up.
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Featured Article: Stocks Jump Again
Economic Calendar
Quote of the Week
Recipe of the Week: Gingery Asian Noodle Salad with Turkey & Cucumbers
Tax Tips
Golf Tips
Healthy Lifestyle
Green Living
Stocks Jump Again
Stocks had an impressive week yet again, as each of the domestic indexes reached record highs and gained at least 2%. The S&P 500 added 2.23%, the Dow increased 2.09%, and the NASDAQ grew 2.31 International stocks in the MSCI EAFE joined the growth, adding 1.49%.
On Monday, January 22, the government shutdown ended after 3 days, as House and Senate members reached an initial compromise. President Trump signed the measure on Monday evening, securing government funding until February 8.
With the funding discussion set aside for the next week or so, we believe 3 topics were of particular interest for the markets: