Market Blog

Index Performance – As of 1:00 PM, 7/2/20

S&P 500 Index: 2.0%

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 0.9 %

Nasdaq Composite: 2.4 %

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DAILY INSIGHTS

Stocks opened solidly higher. Stocks are adding to very strong gains for the week this morning after a strong June jobs report. Markets continue to shrug off the pause in re-openings in response to rising COVID-19 cases and are focusing more on improving economic data and vaccine prospects. European markets are eclipsing US gains in midday trading in London, while China and Hong Kong paced a 1.5% overall gain in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index overnight. Continue reading →

Economic Blog

We check in again today on some of the real-time economic data that LPL Research is monitoring to provide valuable insights into the current state of the US economy, even as traditional economic data is too slow to pick up the changes that are occurring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading →

DAILY INSIGHTS

US stocks open slightly higher. Stocks in the United States reversed earlier losses and opened the new quarter in the green on positive early test results for a vaccine candidate, as investors digest a record second quarter of gains. It is a slow news day otherwise, as COVID-19 and the impact to the economy from potential shutdowns dominate conversation. Asia was mainly higher, although Hong Kong was closed, while Europe is down modestly. Continue reading →

Market Blog

What a quarter the second quarter was, with the S&P 500 Index adding 20.0%, for the best quarter since 1998 and the best second quarter since 1938. Of course, stocks fell 20% in the first quarter, so what we really have is a bad case of whiplash in 2020 thus far. Continue reading →

Economic Blog

Nearly four months ago, in late February, the 10-year Treasury yield broke to its lowest level ever, undercutting the record lows from 2016 of 1.32%. Over the following two weeks, as fears surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic intensified, interest rates experienced an unprecedented collapse, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note eventually trading as low as 0.31% on March 9 (Bloomberg). However, consumers who rushed to refinance loans in mid-March may have been surprised to find that mortgage rates, which typically track the path of longer-term Treasury rates, actually spiked significantly during that time. Continue reading →

DAILY INSIGHTS

US stocks opened lower. Investors continue to parse COVID-19-related headlines this morning amid some earnings news and international economic data. European indexes are slightly lower following Consumer Price Index reports that were reported in-line with consensus. Asian markets were higher, led by a gain of more than 1% in Japan’s Nikkei and bolstered by solid and better-than-expected official Chinese Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) data. Continue reading →

DAILY INSIGHTS

Stocks opened higher. The latest wave of COVID-19 cases is not bothering US markets this morning, even as some re-openings in southern and western states have been put on hold. Facebook weakness is trimming the Nasdaq’s gains, while Boeing gains are boosting the Dow. European markets are matching US gains in midday trading, while Asian markets were broadly lower overnight, led down by Japan’s Nikkei. Continue reading →

Market Blog

Although the fight against COVID-19 continues to dominate the headlines and our thoughts are with those affected, this is an election year and as we get closer to November it will begin to garner more attention. Next week in our Weekly Market Commentary, we will discuss the election in more detail, but today we wanted to share a very interesting connection between the stock market and election. Continue reading →

Market Blog

Index Performance – Week ending 6/26/20

S&P 500 Index: -2.9%

Dow Jones Industrial Average:  -3.3%

Nasdaq Composite:  -1.9%

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