Unify Financial Advisors Weekly Market Update
A three-day selloff drove the S&P 500 down 1.39% for the week, leaving it nearly flat year-to-date. Defensive sectors like utilities, materials, and real estate posted strong gains, while financial services, communication services, and information technology sectors saw losses.
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% in January and 2.4% over the past year, showing a slowdown compared to December’s 2.7%. Total employment increased by 130,000 in January, with the unemployment rate ticking down to 4.3%. Despite the positive news on inflation and employment, markets sold off amid AI valuation concerns and risk-off sentiment.
Weekly Outlook
Looking ahead to the abbreviated week following the President’s Day holiday, we have the first report on fourth-quarter GDP and Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) for January. We expect to see slight declines in GDP and PCE. Walmart $WMT reports 4Q earnings Thursday morning. As the world’s largest retailer by sales, Walmart’s results offer valuable insight into consumer behavior, inflation trends, and broader global economic conditions.
Please read the full Market Week report for details on last week’s market and economic trends.
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David Bennett