The Markets (as of market close November 11, 2022)
Stocks rebounded from a sluggish start to close last week higher. Investors continued to rally behind equities on the hope that last week’s soft inflation data will prompt the Federal Reserve to curtail its interest-rate hikes. The S&P 500 rose to its best week since June, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq notched its best week in two years. Bond prices advanced, pulling Treasury yields lower. Crude oil prices slid lower, although they could jump in December when the European ban on Russian oil shipments by sea takes effect on December 5, potentially limiting supply. Gold prices advanced for the second consecutive week. The dollar endured the largest two-day fall in 13 years after plunging last Thursday and Friday.
Eye on the Week Ahead
There’s plenty of economic data to consider this week. A couple of reports that measure consumer price inflation are available with the release of the producer price index and the import and export prices report for October. Prices producers received for goods and services increased 0.4% in September, while prices rose 8.5% year to date. The release of import and export prices is out this week. While most inflation indicators for September increased, import and export prices did not follow suit, as both import prices and export prices decreased. Also out this week is the release of the retail sales report for October. Retail sales were flat in September.
Data sources: Economic: Based on data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment, inflation); U.S. Department of Commerce (GDP, corporate profits, retail sales, housing); S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Index (home prices); Institute for Supply Management (manufacturing/services). Performance: Based on data reported in WSJ Market Data Center (indexes); U.S. Treasury (Treasury yields); U.S. Energy Information Administration/Bloomberg.com Market Data (oil spot price, WTI, Cushing, OK); www.goldprice.org (spot gold/silver); Oanda/FX Street (currency exchange rates). News items are based on reports from multiple commonly available international news sources (i.e., wire services) and are independently verified when necessary with secondary sources such as government agencies, corporate press releases, or trade organizations. All information is based on sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or guarantee is made as to its accuracy or completeness. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed herein constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, and should not be relied on as financial advice. Forecasts are based on current conditions, subject to change, and may not come to pass. U.S. Treasury securities are guaranteed by the federal government as to the timely payment of principal and interest. The principal value of Treasury securities and other bonds fluctuates with market conditions. Bonds are subject to inflation, interest-rate, and credit risks. As interest rates rise, bond prices typically fall. A bond sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal, and there can be no guarantee that any investing strategy will be successful.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a price-weighted index composed of 30 widely traded blue-chip U.S. common stocks. The S&P 500 is a market-cap weighted index composed of the common stocks of 500 largest, publicly traded companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a market-value weighted index of all common stocks listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The Russell 2000 is a market-cap weighted index composed of 2,000 U.S. small-cap common stocks. The Global Dow is an equally weighted index of 150 widely traded blue-chip common stocks worldwide. The U.S. Dollar Index is a geometrically weighted index of the value of the U.S. dollar relative to six foreign currencies. Market indexes listed are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment.
