Federal Reserve Archives - Unify Financial Advisors

Blog

Weekly Market Update 11.4.2024

Stocks kicked off November on a positive note after being spoked on Halloween. Thursday’s close saw equities lower for October, the first down month since April. The October Employment Report revealed nonfarm payrolls grew by only 12,000. The disruptive forces of hurricanes and the Boeing Labor strike are blamed for the weak employment data.  Earnings reports from major technology companies fell short of investors’ high expectations. However, Amazon’s ...
Read more...

Weekly Market Update – 9.23.2024

Last week, the Fed made a big move by cutting the policy rate by 0.50%. The Federal Open Market Committee’s quarterly Summary of Economic Projections showed decreases in expected inflation and policy rate and an increase in unemployment compared to their June projection. Stocks rallied on the news, with the S&P 500 gaining 1.39%. This week, stocks look to post a monthly gain in September for the first time since 2019. Friday, the Personal Consumption ...
Read more...

Weekly Market Update – 9.16.2024

Stocks bounced back, with the S&P 500 gaining 4.06% and the Tech Heavy NASDAQ gaining 5.98% for the week. Bonds also added value as rates decreased in anticipation of a Fed cut. The aggregate bond index (AGG) gained 5.68% for the year through Friday. Bonds are on pace for their first positive calendar year of returns since 2020.   This week’s focus is on the Fed, as a 0.50% rate cut seems appropriate. The probability of the FOMC cutting the Federal Funds Rate by ...
Read more...

Weekly Market Update – 9.9.2024

September got off to a rough start for Wall Street. The S&P 500 declined 4.22% last week on fears of a waning labor market from the fresh jobs data. The downward revisions to the June and July payrolls have investors on edge that the Fed might have waited too long to cut rates. There is a 100% probability of a 0.25% cut at the September 18th Fed meeting. A normalizing labor market, low inflation, and an accommodative Fed could help the Fed to navigate a “soft ...
Read more...

Weekly Market Update – 8.26.2024

Last week, Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech marked a definitive turning point toward less restrictive monetary policy. Fed futures show a cumulative rate cut of 1% by their December meeting. Investors should consider locking in higher yields for the longer term, anticipating lower rates. The S&P 500 gained 1.47% on the week, with a two-week cumulative return of 5.46%. Inflation data from Personal Consumption Expenditures(PCE) and Nvidia ...
Read more...

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 ...
Read more...

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 ...
Read more...

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 ...
Read more...

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. ...
Read more...

Weekly Market Update – 2.26.2024

Last week, Nvidia (NVDA) posted record profits, contributing to its stock and the broader stock market achieving record highs on Friday. The S&P 500 gained 1.68% for the week and 6.91% year-to-date. Far from being hype, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionize business and our daily lives. By enhancing efficiency and productivity, AI technology promises transformative changes across industries. While optimism around AI remains high, mitigating AI technology risks is ...
Read more...