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Weekly Market Update – 8.19.2024

Last week, investors embraced positive economic data. July’s CPI was 2.9% compared to one year ago. Following the upbeat CPI report, the probability of the Fed cutting rates at their September meeting remained 100%. Strong retail sales and lower initial Jobless claims comforted investors after the disappointing jobs reported two weeks ago. Stocks posted their best week of the year, with the S&P 500 gaining 3.99%.   The real estate sector ...
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Market Jitters: Recession On or Off?

Recent market fluctuations have investors on edge, with many wondering if a recession is looming. While headlines may scream doom and gloom one day and optimism the next, it’s crucial to remember that economic speculation should not dictate your financial strategy. Market volatility is a natural part of the economic cycle. Whether a recession is imminent or not, your long-term financial goals remain the same. A well-diversified portfolio and a solid financial strategy are designed to ...
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Weekly Market Update – 8.12.2024

Last week, some investors and funds exposed their risk associated with leverage and currencies via carry trades. Some carry trade investors realized large losses, while most long-term prudent investors felt acute pain on Monday. Monday’s market volatility, measured by VIX, was the highest it had been seen since 2008. Fear of the systemic ripples from unwinding the carry trades contributed to Monday’s spike in the VIX premarket. The S&P 500 declined by only .02% for the ...
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Weekly Market Update – 8.5.2024

Stocks finished last week in the red, with the S&P 500 declining 2.05%. The Fed held rates steady as expected and signaled that rate cuts are in the cards at their September meeting. With the recent market volatility, lower-than-expected hiring for June, and the unemployment rate at 4.3%, the probability of a 0.50% rate cut at their September meeting currently stands at 84%. June’s job numbers disappointed expectations, but hiring has reached average pre-pandemic levels, and the ...
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Weekly Market Update – 7.29.2024

Unify Financial Advisors Market Week Update Last week’s economic reports painted a strong economy with tamed inflationary pressures. The second-quarter GDP grew at 2.8%, compared to 1.9% expected. An increase in business inventories and auto sales primarily drove the upside surprise. The personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE), a measure of inflation preferred by the Federal Reserve, shows that PCE inflation fell to 2.5% year-over-year in June. ...
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Weekly Market Update – 7.22.2024

Stocks started in rally mode last week, with the S&P 500 and Dow setting record highs. However, the S&P 500 and tech stocks retreated on concerns about future tariffs and export restrictions to China. Money rotated out of the Magnificent 7 into small-cap and defensive stocks.  CrowdStrike, a large cybersecurity company, applied a software update Friday morning while most of us slept. The update caused outages for Microsoft Windows users, wreaking havoc on large airlines, ...
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Weekly Market Update – 7.15.2024

Unify Financial Advisors Weekly Market Update Last week, following the lower-than-expected June CPI release, yields dropped across the curve, driving bond prices up 0.82%. Bond prices and yields have an inverse relationship; as prices rise, yields fall.   Second quarter corporate earnings came in mixed. PepsiCo and JP Morgan rallied into Friday’s close, while Delta and Wells Fargo declined. Banks’ net interest income is under pressure as customers demand higher ...
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Weekly Market Update – 7.8.2024

Following the July 4th holiday, the Employment Report indicated a strong but cooling labor market. After the report, the probability of a 0.25% rate cut in September increased to 75%. The prospects of lower interest rates pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to close at all-time highs, up 17.57% and 22.73% YTD, respectively. This week, Delta (DAL), Pepsi (PEP), and big banks JP Morgan (JPM), Citi (C), and Wells Fargo (WFC) kick off the second quarter corporate earnings season. The S&P ...
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Weekly Market Update – 7.1.2024

Last week, as expected, May’s headline PCE Index was up 0.1% from the previous month and 2.6% over 12 months, not far from the Fed’s 2% target rate. There is still a nearly 60% probability of a 0.25% rate cut in September.  Sales of new single-family homes in May fell by 11.3%. The median sales price of new houses sold was $417,400, the lowest median price in the past 12 months and below the peak median price of $440,900 set in May 2023. May’s PCE Index ...
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Weekly Market Update – 6.24.2024

Last week, stocks rallied but closed short of their all-time highs. May’s Retail Sales Report showed a 0.1% increase from the previous month, below the 0.3% expected. The category of sporting goods, hobby, musical instruments, and book stores saw the biggest m/m increase of 2.8%. In contrast, gasoline stations and furniture sales saw the largest decreases, 2.2% and 1.1% respectively. Look for summer-time discounts on home furniture and furnishings.    This ...
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