02|23|2022

Will the Clouds Part? | February 18, 2022

Markets grew for the week for the first time in a month. Is it a reason to celebrate or a breather in the pullback?

Monday                      S&P 500 0.87% | NASDAQ 1.11%

Nine major companies reported earnings, with two missing expectations. Equities jumped to open the week. Outside of earnings data there was not much to support the rally. It was likely a jump on three consecutive weeks of down market, creating better by opportunities.

Tuesday                       S&P 500 1.20% | NASDAQ 1.59%

35 major companies reported earnings, with five missing expectations. Housing data came in better than expected. The heavy earnings data drove markets higher on Tuesday, pun intended. GM (GM) and Tesla (TSLA) were among reporters that helped propel markets.

Wednesday                 S&P 500 0.02% | NASDAQ 0.10%

40 major companies reported earnings, with six missing expectations. Core durable goods orders came in lighter than expected. Strong earnings data was counter-balanced by higher rate expectations. This left markets fairly unchanged.

Thursday                     S&P 500 0.46% | NASDAQ 0.64%

60 major companies reported earnings, with 13 missing expectations. GDP grew at a much slower pace than expected(1.6% vs 2.5%). Unemployment data continued to show strength. GDP and forward guidance from Meta (META) spooked markets early. They managed to climb halfway out of the hole that was dug as the earnings flowed in throughout the day.

Friday                          S&P 500 1.02% | NASDAQ 2.03%

13 major companies reported earnings, with five missing expectations. Consumer sentiment softened in April. Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) held steady at 2.8% in March. This is the Federal Reserve Board’s (FRB) preferred gauge of inflation. Between PCE data and earnings from Alphabet (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT) markets surged on the day.

Conclusion                  S&P 500 2.67% | NASDAQ 4.23%

The markets experienced a strong bounce back this last week in comparison to the last three weeks. Do not be fooled. Markets have a way to go to recapture highs as the growth did not even recover from the prior week. This indicates that there is room for markets to continue the run up as earnings season wears on. There are major hurdles this coming week with the FRB meeting, Jobs data, and Apple (AAPL) reports earnings.

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It was a rough week for markets. Volatility is up, but will it be here to stay or are the clouds soon to part?

Monday

Markets dropped at the opening bell and gained briefly in mid-day trading; however, the S&P 500 never really gained momentum for the day. The index closed down .38% for the day. Importantly, the 10-year treasury closed above 2% for the second time in a week.

Tuesday

The S&P 500 opened in the positive at the news of easing tensions in Russia and Ukraine. PPI Figures came in slightly lower at 9.7% (Jan) compared to 9.8% (Dec) but are still high. As wholesale prices increase, the price to the consumer will also go up which is the concern with inflation. The market appeared undeterred following three day of negative trading. S&P closed up 1.58%.

Wednesday

The market looked like it was preparing for another down day in anticipation of FRB minutes from January. The S&P 500 was down 0.8% most of the day. In the end it climbed out, managing to rise 0.09%. At the same time the 10-year treasury slipped back below 2%. So, while the markets regained composure, safe haven assets were being purchased.

Thursday

The S&P 500 tumbled on Thursday, falling 1.70%. The NASDAQ led the way lower, falling 3%. Fears came from two fronts on Thursday. Markets were feeling tensions rise in the situation between Ukraine and Russia. Additionally, Federal Reserve Board (FRB) member, Bullard, spoke. He indicated the FRB would have to take more aggressive action than the markets were pricing in to fight inflation.

Friday

Markets continued the slide into Friday. The S&P 500 lost 0.72% on the day. It is not surprising to see markets sell into the long holiday weekend. It is an extended period of time for bad things to happen, given the geo-political risks at play.

Conclusion

The S&P 500 ended up losing ground by 1.57% last week. It is coming close to closing down 105, which marks a technical correction. Volatility is up and safe haven assets are catching a bid. This marks the first correction since September-October 2020. They are typically 2 to 3 months in duration. That means we still have time for some more volatility before the cloud’s part…

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Always remember that while this is a week in review, this does not trigger or relate to trading activity on your account with Financial Future Services. Broad diversification across several asset classes with a long-term holding strategy is the best strategy in any market environment.
Any and all third-party posts or responses to this blog do not reflect the views of the firm and have not been reviewed by the firm for completeness or accuracy.