Market Blog

Index Performance

S&P 500 Index:  -0.6%

Dow Jones Industrial Average:  -1.8%

Nasdaq Composite:  1.1%

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Market Blog

The September weakness continued with the S&P 500 Index 9.6% off the all-time high set on September 2 (as of 9/23/20). It is important to remember that after a 60% rally in the S&P 500—and much more in some of the large cap tech stocks—this type of seasonal weakness is normal and expected. Continue reading →

Daily Insights

Markets pull back. US equities are giving back some ground this morning, and that may mean the first four-week losing streak for the S&P 500 Index since August 2019. Headlines are quiet today. Democrats in the US House of Representatives are working on a stimulus package in the range of $2.2 trillion, but no deal with Republicans is near. Continue reading →

Economic Blog

In recent months, we have warmed up to Europe as a destination for equity investments in global portfolios. Through July, Europe had done a relatively good job containing the first wave of COVID-19, and cases were plummeting to multi-month lows. Meanwhile, the United States was struggling with its second wave—or perhaps the second phase of the first wave—and was seeing cases surge in July despite the warm summer weather. Continue reading →

Daily Insights

Stocks attempt to regain footing after Wednesday’s losses. Stocks are little changed at the open this morning after the S&P 500 Index tumbled 2.4% Wednesday, bringing its decline since September 2 to 9.6%, due in part to the Federal Reserve’s cautious economic commentary. Rising coronavirus cases in Europe and the United States, dimming hopes of another stimulus package, and election uncertainty continue to weigh on sentiment during a challenging seasonal period for stocks. Global markets are mostly lower with losses in Europe in midday trading, while Asian markets closed broadly lower. Continue reading →

Market Blog

In the recent LPL Market Signals video, LPL Financial Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick and Equity Strategist Jeff Buchbinder celebrate the 100th episode of this client-approved podcast, along with putting the recent stock market weakness in perspective and more, including: Continue reading →

Market Blog

On March 23, 2020, the S&P 500 Index closed down 2.9% for the day, bringing its total loss from its all-time high to 33.9%. The index was in the midst of its fastest bear market ever. A day earlier, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had ordered the statewide closure of all non-essential businesses in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, following California’s example and kickstarting a wave of similar lockdowns across states that would ultimately bring the unemployment rate to more than 14%. Continue reading →

Daily Insights

Markets rebounded Tuesday. A tumultuous September for equities caused bargain hunters to take advantage of oversold conditions Tuesday, snapping a four-day losing streak for the S&P 500 Index. House Democrats and the White House reached a tentative deal to avoid a Government shutdown, but a stimulus plan may still be a long ways off. European stocks are firmly higher in afternoon trading, while Asian markets finished overnight mixed. Continue reading →

Market Blog

A few weeks ago we looked at how different bond sectors performed during rising rate periods during the last economic cycle (2009–2020). Today we look at falling rate periods—not the outcome we expect, but it can still be helpful to understand how investments respond to different environments. Continue reading →

Daily Insights

S&P 500 extends sell-off. Despite a strong rally in the final hour of trading, the S&P 500 Index extended its recent sell-off to open the week. As of Monday’s close, the index is now a little over 8% off its September 2 all-time high. Lack of progress on stimulus talks, a global rise in COVID-19 cases, and potential increased election jitters have been among the catalysts for the sell-off. Continue reading →