Stock Market Archives - Unify Financial Advisors

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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 ...
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Weekly Market Update – 10.7.2024

Stock and bond markets fluctuated last week due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, ongoing port strikes, and positive employment data. A strong employment report drove stocks higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.26% for the week, while bond prices declined by 1.24%. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) report will be released this Thursday. The September Core CPI is anticipated to decrease by 0.10 from the previous month.  As Hurricane Milton ...
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Weekly Market Update – 9.30.2024

Last week, the S&P 500 posted record highs and gained 0.64%. Personal Consumption Expenditures(PCE) for August rose 2.2% from one year ago. With PCE being the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, there is currently a 100% probability of at least a 0.25% rate cut on November 7.  I was recently asked how stocks can set record highs in the face of political uncertainty and wars. In short, the Fed has more influence over the current US economy than elections and ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Weekly Market Update – 9.3.2024

The S&P 500 posted gains for the third consecutive week, helped by positive GDP revisions and tamed inflation(PCE). Nvidia(NVDA) beat earnings estimates but experienced margin contraction partly due to production issues with its next-generation Blackwell chips. Thursday, NVDA shares declined 6.4%, highlighting that high expectations for future profits leave little margin for error.  Today, ISM’s purchasing manager’s index(PMI) for August came in ...
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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 – 7.22.2024

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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