Stock Market U.S. stocks surged on the final day of April 2026 with all three major indices closing at record highs, thanks to investors looking past lingering geopolitical concerns and a softer-than-expected GDP reading of 2% annualized growth for Q1 2026. As a whole, April delivered an exceptional month for equities. For the month, the stock market’s three major indices performed as follows: S&P 500 10.4% The Dow 7.1% Nasdaq 15.3% It was the S&P’s best month since November 2020, the Nasdaq’s best month since April 2020, and the Dow’s strongest monthly advance since November 2024. *** Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/29/stock-market-today-live-updates.html   Inflation The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.9% in March, bringing the annual inflation rate to 3.3%, up from 2.4% in February and the highest level since April 2024. The increase was largely driven by a sharp rise in energy prices, which surged 10.9% for the month and 12.5% over the past year. Gasoline alone jumped 21.2% in March, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the overall increase, largely tied to geopolitical tensions involving Iran. Shelter costs also continued to rise modestly, increasing 0.3% for the month and 3% […]

Stock Market March 2026 proved to be a challenging and volatile month for U.S. equity markets, marking the weakest monthly performance since 2022. Investor sentiment deteriorated sharply as geopolitical tensions escalated in the Middle East, particularly involving Iran, which drove oil prices above $100 per barrel and reignited inflation concerns. Against this backdrop, the market’s three major indexes performed as follows: S&P 500 -5.1% The Dow -5.4% Nasdaq -4.8% In March, the Dow Jones Industrial Average snapped a 10-month winning streak, and it was the S&P 500’s worst month since 2022. Losses were broad-based, pushing markets well below recent highs […]

Stock Market U.S. stocks declined in February as technology and AI shares continued to lose momentum. On Friday, February 27th – the last trading day of the month – the Dow fell 521 points (1.1%), the S&P 500 dropped 0.4%, and the Nasdaq slid 0.9%, marking one of the market’s few losing months in the past 10. For the month, the market’s three main indices performed as follows: S&P500 -0.9% The DOW +0.2% Nasdaq -3.4% It was the Nasdaq’s worth monthly performance since March 2025 and its third negative month in the past four. The Nasdaq Composite remains below its […]

  Stock Market What a year it’s been already – and it’s only January! To some, the past month has felt like far more than 31 days on Wall Street, and for good reason through a headline-filled, volatile start to 2026. Stocks pulled back on Friday, the last trading day of the month, as technology shares continued to struggle, even as investors generally welcomed President Donald Trump’s selection of Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve. Despite Friday’s losses and the volatility that defined much of the month, the major indexes managed to finish January in positive territory. S&P 500 +1.4% […]

  Stock Market U.S. stocks delivered another banner year in 2025, supported by resilient corporate earnings, continued enthusiasm around AI, and growing optimism that the Federal Reserve could begin cutting interest rates. In fact, the U.S. stock market just achieved something remarkably rare: three consecutive years of double-digit gains – an outcome that has occurred only six times since the 1940s. For the year, the market’s three major indices performed as follows: S&P 500: +16.39% (following gains of 23% in 2024 and 24% in 2023) Dow Jones Industrial Average: +12.97% Nasdaq Composite: +20.36% Historically, a three-peat of double-digit annual gains […]

Stock Market Equities finished November mixed, with major indices showing only modest movement amid a volatile month. For the month, the market’s three major indices performed as follows: S&P 500: +0.1% The Dow: +0.32% Nasdaq: –1.5% The month began with a notable pullback—particularly in the Nasdaq—but a strong late-month rebound helped recover a large portion of those early losses. Despite the rally, the Nasdaq still declined nearly 2% for the month, ending its seven-month winning streak. Concerns over elevated tech valuations weighed on risk appetite, contributing to the underperformance. In contrast, both the S&P 500 and the Dow posted slight gains, extending their own winning […]

Stocks Historically known for some of the stock market’s biggest one-day drops, October instead delivered solid gains this year. The S&P 500, tech-heavy Nasdaq, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average all ended the month with positive gains. For the Dow, it was the sixth consecutive monthly advance, its longest winning streak since 2018. For October, the stock market’s three major indices performed as follows: S&P 500 2.3% The Dow 2.5% Nasdaq 4.7% Source: www.cnbc.com/2025/10/30/stock-market-today-live-updates.html   The Fed and Rates The Federal Reserve cut U.S. interest rates by a quarter point this week, lowering the benchmark rate to a range of […]

  Stock Market Wall Street brushed off fears of a government shutdown on Tuesday, the final trading day of the month, with the Dow rising to a record high. It was an unusually strong September for the stock market, with all three major indices posting solid gains: S&P 500: +3.5% Dow: +1.9% Nasdaq: +5.6% This marked a sharp reversal for the S&P 500, which has averaged a 4.2% decline over the past five Septembers. To close out Q3, the S&P 500 gained nearly 8% for the quarter, the Dow rose more than 5%, and the Nasdaq climbed more than 11% since June. Sources: […]

Stock Market Wall Street ended August on a down note on concerning inflation data, but still managed to record its fourth winning month in a row. For the month, the stock market’s three major indices performed as follows: S&P 500 +1.9% The Dow +3.1% Nasdaq +1.6% While the S&P 500 did reach a new record high in August, September has historically been a losing month. In fact, according to The Stock Trader’s Almanac, September has seen the largest declines of any month for those three indices since 1950. Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/28/stock-market-today-live-updates-.html   Jobs & Unemployment The U.S. economy added 73,000 jobs […]

Stock Market In what was an eventful month on Wall Street, revised tariff policies and lackluster Big Tech earnings saw the stock market edge lower in the last days of July, muting earlier gains. While there is further consternation about the latest jobs report, a bullish long-term forecast remains. Through the month of July, the stock market’s three major indices performed as follows: S&P 500 +2.2% DOW +0.1% Nasdaq +3.7% Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/31/stock-market-today-live-updates.html   Inflation Inflation ticked up in June, with the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rising 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis, following a 0.1% increase […]