Winthrop Partners Market Update 4-5-21

The Markets (as of market close April 1, 2021)

Stocks opened last week generally down, with only the Dow posting a marginal 0.3% gain. The Russell 2000 plunged 2.8%, the Nasdaq dropped 0.6%, while the Global Dow and the S&P 500 each slipped 0.1%. The sectors were mixed, with utilities, consumer staples, communication services, and health care pushing ahead, while energy, financials, information technology, consumer discretionary, materials, and real estate fell. The yield on 10-year Treasuries, crude oil prices, and the dollar advanced.

The Dow retreated from a three-day surge, falling 0.3% last Tuesday. The S&P 500 also dropped 0.3%, and the Nasdaq lost 0.1%. The Russell 2000 recovered from a notable tailspin after gaining 1.7%. The Global Dow inched ahead 0.2%. Treasury yields and the dollar advanced, while crude oil prices dropped nearly 2.0%. Consumer discretionary, financials, and industrials were the only sectors to post gains. Each of the remaining sectors declined, led by consumer staples, which sank 1.1%.

Tech stocks and cyclicals surged last Wednesday, driving equities higher. The Nasdaq (1.5%) and the Russell 2000 (1.4%) led the way, with the S&P 500 posting a moderate (0.4%) gain. The Dow fell 0.3% and the Global Dow dropped 0.5%. Consumer discretionary, information technology, utilities, communication services, and health care gained ground, while energy and financials faded. Crude oil prices and the dollar fell. The yield on 10-year Treasuries jumped higher.

The market closed for the week following last Thursday’s trading in observance of Good Friday. Stocks ended the first day of the second quarter in fine fashion. The S&P 500 topped 4,000 for the first time as investors were encouraged by President Biden’s $2.25 trillion spending plan. Tech shares led the surge, followed by value stocks. Each of the benchmark indexes closed last Thursday well in the black, led by the Nasdaq (1.8%), followed by the Russell 2000 (1.3%) and the S&P 500 (1.2%), with the Global Dow and the Dow each gaining 0.5%. Only consumer staples, health care, and utilities closed the day in the red. Communication services, energy, and information technology all rose above 2.0%. Yields on 10-year Treasuries declined 3.8% and the dollar fell 0.4%. Crude oil jumped 3.5%.

A late-week surge pushed stocks higher overall last week. The Nasdaq, which had been weakening as investors retreated from tech shares, climbed 2.6%. The small caps of the Russell 2000 continued to climb. The S&P 500 reached an all time high, while the Dow and the Global Dow posted modest weekly gains. Information technology posted a 4.7% gain for the week, making it the top-performing sector, followed by communication services, consumer discretionary, and real estate, each of which advanced about 3.0%. Treasury yields closed the week up slightly. Crude oil prices closed last week above $61.00 per barrel. The dollar advanced, while gold continued to slide. The Russell 2000 continues to lead the pack, year to date, followed by the Global Dow, the Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq.

The national average retail price for regular gasoline was $2.852 per gallon on March 29, $0.013 per gallon less than the prior week’s price but $0.847 higher than a year ago. Over the same period, the national average retail price for diesel fuel was $3.161 per gallon, $0.033 per gallon below the prior week’s level but $0.575 higher than a year ago.  Click here for the complete article:  Winthrop Partners Market Update 4-5-21