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Weekly Market Update – 3.24.2025

The S&P 500 broke a four-week losing streak with modest gains last week, rising 0.51%. All 11 sectors advanced, with notable strength in financials, health care, and information technology. As expected, the Fed held interest rates steady last week while acknowledging solid economic activity and a tight labor market. Inflation remains somewhat elevated, but the central bank’s outlook now includes expectations for easing later this year. This week, investors will weigh the final ...
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Weekly Market Update – 3.17.2025

Markets continued their downward trend last week, with the S&P 500 declining 2.27%. Investors navigated ongoing uncertainty surrounding inflation, tariffs, and the economy. On Thursday, the S&P 500 entered correction territory from the highs set in February but is only down 4.13% for the year following Friday’s rally.  Inflation slowed in February, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rising 0.2% for the month and 2.8% year-over-year. The Producer Price ...
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Weekly Market Update – 3.10.2025

Last week, the S&P 500 declined 3.10%. The employment report showed that employment rose by 151,000 in February, just missing expectations for 159,000. The unemployment rate ticked up 0.10% to 4.1%, and wage growth continued with a 0.3% monthly increase and a 4.0% annual increase in average hourly earnings. Stocks are off to a volatile start this week, with the S&P 500 down 2.7% today and 4.59% for the year. Bonds have been the bright spot, gaining 0.48% today and ...
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Weekly Market Update – 3.3.2025

Markets remained volatile last week, ultimately closing mostly lower. The S&P 500 declined 0.98%, with consumer discretionary and tech shares struggling. The Dow was the only major index to post a gain, edging up 0.95%. Bond prices rose as Treasury yields declined, crude oil dipped, and gold prices slid after recent gains. Economic data revealed mixed signals. The second estimate of fourth-quarter GDP showed a 2.3% increase, down from 3.1% in the prior quarter, reflecting ...
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Weekly Market Update – 2.24.2025

Markets closed lower last week as investors reacted to weaker-than-expected economic data and lingering inflation worries. The S&P 500 declined 1.66%, driven by underperformance in consumer discretionary and communication services sectors. Bond prices gained on increased demand, pushing yields lower. Crude oil prices fell for the third consecutive week, while gold prices advanced. Housing market data showed mixed results. Housing starts were down 9.8% in January, reflecting caution ...
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Weekly Market Update – 2.17.2025

Markets closed higher last week despite mixed economic signals, including weaker retail sales and ongoing tariff concerns. The S&P 500 posted a 1.47% gain, with information technology and consumer staples leading the rally, while consumer discretionary and financials lagged. Treasury yields edged lower, and crude oil prices remained volatile amid supply concerns. Inflation remains a key concern. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.5% in January, marking the largest monthly ...
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Weekly Market Update – 2.10.2025

Unify Financial Advisors Weekly Market Update The S&P 500 declined 0.24% last week. Declines in US equity indexes and gains in international equity indexes could be attributed to tariff expectations. US equity valuations are elevated, while non-US equity valuations are low relative to historical averages. Home bias investing is the tendency to invest in domestic companies for comfort. Click here for information and a short video on home bias investment implications. Inflation data ...
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Weekly Market Update – 2.3.2025

Stocks started in the red last week following the DeepSeek AI news, but they managed to claw back most of their losses throughout the week. However, following the tariff announcement Friday afternoon, stocks sold off, and the S&P 500 finished the week down -1.00%. We saw solid earnings from big tech companies, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple. On the economic side, inflation seems to have stalled, growth remains solid on the back of strong consumer spending, and the Federal Reserve held ...
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Weekly Market Update – 1.27.2025

Last week, the S&P 500 gained 1.74% on optimism around corporate earnings, pro-business policies, and a barrage of executive orders issued during President-elect Donald Trump’s first week in office.   This week was ignited by headlines stemming from viral social media posts over the weekend that DeepSeek, a China-based company, created an artificial intelligence open-source model that competes with rivals like ChatGPT for a fraction of the computing costs. White papers ...
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Weekly Market Update – 1.20.2025

Last week, the stock market saw a strong rebound following cooler-than-expected inflation data from December’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), easing concerns about potential interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve this year. The S&P 500 rose 2.91%, erasing its losses for the year. Additionally, major banks reported earnings that exceeded expectations. The rally in both stock and bond markets reinforces the importance of staying invested over the long term. As the saying goes, ...
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