Weekly Market Commentary
And We’re Off!
The equity markets ended the last few days of 2024 on a down note but have shown a positive return so far in 2025. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was -0.5%, the Dow Jones Industrials -0.6%, and the NASDAQ -0.7%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Energy, Utility, and Real Estate sectors, while the Materials, Consumer Discretionary, and Consumer Staples sectors lagged. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield decreased to 4.885%
Last Call
Equities had a modest advance during the holiday shortened week. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was +0.7%, the Dow Jones Industrials +0.4%, and the NASDAQ +0.9%. The S&P 500 Index was led by the Energy, Health Care, and Communication Services sectors, while the Materials, Consumer Staples, and Industrial sectors lagged. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield increased to 4.623% at Friday’s close versus 4.530% the previous week. There has been a lull in
Evolving
Equities declined last week after the Federal Reserve reduced its outlook for the number of interest rate reductions it plans for 2025. For the week, the S&P 500 Index was -2.0%, the Dow Jones Industrials -2.2%, and the NASDAQ -2.3%. All eleven S&P sectors declined with the Technology, Utility, and Financial sectors declining the least and the Energy, Real Estate, and Materials sectors declining the most. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield increased to 4.530%
Fed Finale
The S&P 500 Index fell modestly last week. For the week, the S&P 500 was -0.8%, the Dow Jones Industrials -1.8%, and the NASDAQ +0.8%. The Communication Services, Consumer Discretionary and Technology sectors led the market, while the Materials, Utility and Health Care sectors lagged. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield increased to 4.398% at Friday’s close versus 4.149% the previous week. The Federal Reserve’s final meeting of the year is scheduled for Tuesday and
Fed on Deck
The November rally continued into the first week of December. For the week, the S&P 500 was +1.0%, the Dow Jones Industrials -0.5%, and the NASDAQ +3.3%. The Consumer Discretionary, Communication Services, and Technology sectors led the market, while the Energy, Utility, and Materials sectors lagged. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield decreased to 4.149% at Friday’s close versus 4.193% the previous week. The November Employment Situation Report showed 227,000 new jobs created versus expectation
The Shop is On
The equity markets continued their post-election gains, turning November into the best month of the year. For the week, the S&P 500 was +1.1%, the Dow Jones Industrials +1.4%, and the NASDAQ +0.8%. The Consumer Discretionary, Health Care, and Real Estate sectors led the market, while the Energy, Technology, and Materials sectors lagged. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield decreased to 4.193% at Friday’s close versus 4.418% the previous week. With a Federal Reserve policy