Thanksgiving week proved to be a tumultuous one for investors. Each of the major benchmark indexes ended the week in the red following news of a new COVID variant in South Africa. In response, several countries, including the United States, initiated travel bans and tightened border controls. Crude oil prices fell 13.5% in the week as the new coronavirus strain sparked fears that lockdowns would hurt global demand. The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell 10 basis points.
A selloff in tech shares pulled the Nasdaq down 1.3% to open the week last Monday. The Russell 2000 fell 0.5%, the S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, and the Global Dow lost 0.1%. The Dow inched up 0.1%.
The Nasdaq (-0.5%) fell for the second consecutive day last Tuesday as tech stocks continued to tumble. Energy and financials led the market sectors, helping to push the S&P 500 up 0.2%. The Russell 2000 inched 0.2% lower, while the Dow (0.6%) and the Global Dow (0.2%) advanced.
Gains in real estate and energy stocks helped drive the S&P 500 higher last Wednesday. The Nasdaq reversed course and led the benchmark indexes, while the Global Dow and the Russell 2000 also posted gains. The Dow was unchanged on the day. Ten-year Treasury yields and crude oil prices dipped lower. The dollar advanced.
Investors got mixed reports last Wednesday. The Federal Reserve released the minutes from its early November meeting and noted that it “would not hesitate to take appropriate actions to address inflation pressures.” Since that meeting, inflation has continued to rise, which could prompt the Fed to quicken the pace of its bond purchasing program tapering. On the other hand, consumer spending rose in October from a month earlier. But the biggest news was that the number of weekly claims for unemployment benefits dipped to its lowest level since 1969.
Stocks tumbled on Black Friday, the major shopping day after Thanksgiving, as investors reacted to news of another coronavirus variant identified in South Africa. Each of the benchmark indexes fell by at least 2.0%
Eye on the Week Ahead
The purchasing managers’ manufacturing and services reports for November are available this week. Respondents have noted that while the manufacturing and services sectors continue to expand, each area has been impacted by supply bottlenecks and labor shortages. Those issues are expected to remain through the year, which will further drive cost inflation. The November employment figures are also out at the end of this week. Over 500,000 new jobs were added in October, and hourly wages rose by 0.4%.
