Stock Market Amid rising geopolitical risks and economic tensions, the stock market ended a volatile February on a high note on the final day of trading despite being in the red for the month. The stock market’s three major indices performed as follows in February: S&P 500 -1.4% The DOW -1.6% Nasdaq -3.9% It was the tech-heavy Nasdaq’s worst month since April 2024. Jobs and Employment The U.S. economy added 143,000 jobs in January, while the unemployment rate edged down to 4.0%, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite challenges such as severe winter weather, […]

  Stock Market It was a wild final week of trading in January, but that didn’t stop the major indexes from ending the month in positive territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all posted gains, even after a roller-coaster ride fueled by earnings reports, the Federal Reserve’s latest decision to keep interest rates steady, and some big AI news out of China—where startup DeepSeek unveiled a powerful, low-cost AI model. For the month of January, the stock market’s three major indices performed as follows: S&P 500 2.7% The Dow 4.7% Nasdaq 1.6% It was the third straight positive month […]

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 […]