Stock Market Stocks stumbled in December, limping to the finish line of 2024 with three straight days of significant losses, including the Dow’s worst monthly performance in more than two years. Despite December’s sluggishness, the major indexes posted sizable gains for the year. In fact, U.S. stocks concluded another extraordinary year on Wall Street on December 31st, driven by 2024’s surging demand for artificial intelligence, a surprisingly robust U.S. economy, and the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate reductions. These factors propelled the major stock indexes to numerous record highs throughout the year. The S&P 500 delivered another year of double-digit growth, climbing […]

Stock Market U.S. stock markets saw lighter activity during a shortened session following Thanksgiving, but the major indexes finished a strong month on an up-beat. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the last trading day of the month at record highs, with the Dow briefly surpassing 45,000 intraday before settling slightly lower. For the month of November, the stock market’s three major indexes performed as follows: The Dow 7.5% S&P 500 5% Nasdaq Composite 6% These advances capped off a winning week and month, driven by momentum from the postelection rally following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. In […]

  Stock Market While the stock market often sees a September swoon, last month bucked the trend with a record-breaking performance. Investors embraced remarks by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on the ultimate trading day of the month, leading Wall Street to fresh records and a robust quarter. For the month of September, the stock market’s three major indices performed as follows: The Dow +1.9% S&P 500 + 2% Nasdaq +2.7% For Q3, the big three indices closed the quarter as follows: The Dow + 8.2% S&P 500 +5.4% Nasdaq +3% For the S&P 500, it was its best year-to-date […]

Stock Market Markets rebounded soundly after a steep sell-off in the first part of August, during which the S&P 500 lost as much as 7.5%, the Dow was down 5.4%, and the Nasdaq sank 10.7%. But by the end of the month, the blue-chip S&P 500 had climbed to record highs, experiencing its fourth straight winning month. For the month, the stock market’s three major indices performed as follows: The Dow +1.8% S&P 500 + 2.3% Nasdaq Composite +0.7%   Inflation Early August’s inflation readings showed that in July, the consumer price index (CPI) increased 0.2%, setting the 12-month rate […]

Stock Market Friday, June 28th, the last trading day of the month, marked the midway point of 2024 for the U.S. stock market. In the first half of the year, stocks flourished, touching all-time highs. For the first six months of 2024, the stock market’s three major indices performed as follows: Nasdaq +18.1% S&P 500 + 14.5% The Dow +3.8% And to recap June, the stock market’s three major indices performed as follows: Nasdaq: +6% S&P 500 +3.5% The Dow +1.1% It was the seventh positive month out of eight for all three indices.     Inflation The Fed may […]

Stock Market May brought the sixth winning month in seven for the market’s major benchmarks. For the month, Wall Street’s three major indices performed as follows: The Dow +2.3% S&P 500 +4.8% Nasdaq +6.88% All three indices set records for the month of May; the Dow had its best May performance since 2020, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq haven’t had a better May showing since 2003.   Inflation May’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) report revealed that prices rose 0.3% in April, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a 12-month basis, the Consumer Price Index […]

  Stock Market Stocks fell on the last trading day of April to cap a losing month. The stock market’s three major indices performed as follows in April: S&P 500 -4.2% Nasdaq -4.4% The Dow -5% It was the Dow’s worst monthly slide since September 2022, while all three major indices ended five straight months of gains. Disappointing wage data and a new round of inflation fears capsized markets on the final day of April. But despite a brutal month for equities, the S&P 500 is still up more than 20% from its recent low as of October 2023. Of […]

Stock Market Stocks rallied in the final hour of trading on March 28th, the last session of the month thanks to markets being closed for Good Friday, propelling the S&P 500 to an all-time high. For the month, the market’s three major indices performed as follows: Nasdaq 1.8% The Dow 2.1% S&P 500 3.1% March marked the fifth straight winning month for all three major averages. Recapping a glowing first quarter of 2024, the three major indices registered these gains for the three-month period: The Dow 5.6% Nasdaq 9.1% S&P 500 10.2% For the Nasdaq, it was the first record […]

  Stock Market The stock market capped off its fourth straight month of gains in February. For the month, the market’s three major indices performed as follows: The Dow 2.22% S&P 500 5.17% Nasdaq 6.12% The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq showed their best returns for any February since 2015. Looking at the first two months of the year as a whole, the S&P 500 and the Dow have registered their best start since 2019 (+6.8% and + 3.5%, respectively), with the tech-heavy Nasdaq surging 7.2% over the first two months of 2024. February’s rally was relatively broad, spilling out […]