Stocks End a Quiet Week Mixed

In a relatively quiet week, major stock indices ended mixed with individual company values responding to earnings announcements.  Both existing home sales and housing starts fell in March and unemployment claims edged up.  However, preliminary “flash” estimates for purchasing manager indices indicate expansion in manufacturing and services this month. Treasury bond yields rose with the […]

Stocks Post Modest Gains As Inflation and the Economy Cools

While the headline inflation rate for March was low, core inflation, excluding volatile food and energy, still remains about 5% from a year ago, well above the Federal Reserve’s target.  Producer prices fell in March and are trending closer to the FED’s 2% target.  Consumer spending is falling and unemployment has risen.  While some traders […]

Major stock indices ended the holiday shortened week mixed.  OPEC+ made a surprise announcement that members will voluntarily cut production by 1.1MM barrels per day beginning in April and 1.6MM barrels beginning in July through the end of the year.  Recent comments from OPEC delegates indicated no cuts, especially given China’s reopening from Covid zero.  […]

Stocks Rise As Traders Anticipate the End of FED Tightening

Major stock indices ended the week higher, led by technology shares, as traders anticipate the end of FED tightening.  The rally continued Friday following a weaker than expected gain in the personal consumption expenditures price index.  Also contributing to the gains were subsiding fears about banking problems from a few weeks ago. Treasury bond yields […]