Winthrop Partners Market and Economic Update 4-12-21

The Markets (as of market close April 9, 2021)
Strong economic data and a growing number of vaccinated Americans helped fuel significant market gains last Monday. The prior week’s favorable jobs report, coupled with purchasing managers’ encouraging news in both the manufacturing and services sectors, provided encouragement for investors. The Nasdaq rose 1.7%, followed by the S&P 500 (1.4%), the Dow (1.1%), the Global Dow (0.8%), and the Russell 2000 (0.5%). The yield on 10-year Treasuries climbed 2.4%, while the dollar and crude oil prices fell. Among the sectors, a major oil sell-off pushed energy prices lower. Otherwise, the major market sectors jumped higher, led by consumer discretionary, communication services, and information technology, each of which gained more than 2.0%.
Stocks ended last Tuesday in the red after reaching all-time highs earlier in the day. Information technology, health care, and energy pulled equities lower, offsetting gains in consumer discretionary, consumer staples, and utilities. Other than the Global Dow, which inched up 0.2% on the day, each of the benchmark indexes closed lower, with the Dow and the Russell 2000 falling the most (-0.3%). Treasury yields reversed course from the previous day by dropping 3.7%. Crude oil prices advanced, while the dollar slipped.
Stocks were mixed last Wednesday following a slow day of trading. The large caps of the Dow and the S&P 500 posted modest gains, while the Nasdaq slipped and the Russell 2000 plunged. Communication services, energy, financials, and information technology led the sectors. Materials sank. Crude oil prices and the dollar rose, while Treasury yields dipped.
Equities rebounded last Thursday, with the S&P 500 reaching a record high. Technology shares drove much of the overall market increase, while pushing the Nasdaq up 1.0% on the day. The Russell 2000 climbed 0.9%, the S&P 500 gained 0.4%, the Dow advanced 0.2%, and the Global Dow broke even. Treasury yields fell for the third consecutive day. The dollar weakened, while crude oil prices inched ahead.
Stocks ended last week on a positive note, despite worries that inflation is ramping up. Both the Dow and the S&P 500 reached record highs. Consumer discretionary, health care, and information technology led the sectors. Yields on 10-year Treasuries rose and the dollar inched higher. Crude oil prices dipped.
Investors remained confident that the Federal Reserve would continue to support the economy, even as signs of inflationary pressures were evident. Overall, stocks advanced last week, with the Nasdaq climbing more than 3.0%, followed by the S&P 500 and the Dow. Information technology and consumer discretionary led the sectors, each advancing more than 4.2%. Treasury yields, the dollar, and crude oil prices fell, while gold prices advanced. So far in 2021, the small caps of the Russell 2000 remain well ahead of their 2020 closing values, despite losing value last week, followed by the Global Dow, the Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq.
The national average retail price for regular gasoline was $2.857 per gallon on April 5, $0.005 per gallon more than the prior week’s price and $0.933 higher than a year ago. Over the same period, the national average retail price for diesel fuel was $3.144 per gallon, $0.017 per gallon below last week’s level but $0.596 higher than a year ago.  For complete article click here:Winthrop Partners Market and Economic Update 4-12-22