Hanging by a Thread

Hanging by a Thread

OVERVIEW   It was a slightly bumpy ride for U.S. stocks last week as volatility, as measured by the VIX Index, rose mid-week but ultimately ended the week roughly where it started. Large-cap stocks had a rough time, as the S&P 500 Index fell 0.74% and the Dow...
Playing Chicken

Playing Chicken

OVERVIEW   U.S. stocks fell last week as volatility reemerged on Wall Street. The VIX Index—a measure of investors’ expectations for market volatility—rose 25% for the week. The result was pretty large losses for the major U.S. stock indices. The S&P 500 fell...
Fishhooks and Sentiment

Fishhooks and Sentiment

OVERVIEW   The major U.S. stock indexes gave up most of the ground they had gained the previous week, falling around 1% to 2%. Specifically, the S&P 500 dropped 1.3%, the Dow fell 0.75%, and the Nasdaq dived 1.93%. Small-cap stocks really took it on the chin,...
Money Matters

Money Matters

OVERVIEW   The U.S. stock market rebounded last week, with the S&P 500 gaining 2.5% and the Nasdaq surging 3.25%. The Dow registered a smaller gain of about 1.43%. Foreign stocks had a strong outing as well. Developed country stocks increased 2.46%, and...
Choppy

Choppy

OVERVIEW   It was a mixed bag of results for U.S. stocks last week. The S&P rose 0.82%, the Nasdaq soared 2.26%, and the Dow fell 0.45%. Growth stocks led the way, gaining 1.66%, whereas value stocks declined 0.25%. Small caps also fell about 0.4%. It was a...