In Markets "In a Nutshell"

Markets “In a Nutshell” for July 1, 2024

Investment Week at a Glance

Stocks finished mixed for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.10%, the S&P 500 was down 0.10%, and the NASDAQ was up 0.2%. Foreign stocks (MSCI EAFE) were up, rising 0.30%. Bond prices were down for the week, with the 10-year U.S. Treasury ending the week at 4.38%.  (Data source: Wall Street Journal)

1st Half Recap

Markets had a strong first half of 2024, once again the NASDAQ led the way higher among indexes. The Dow Jones was up over 3% for the first half and foreign markets were up near the same levels. NVIDIA was up over 150% in the first 6 months of 2024, leading the way higher for the S&P 500 and NASDAQ. The equal-weight S&P 500 also performed well, up over 4% in the first half and the NYSE composite was up over 7%. Every sector in the S&P 500 was up for the first 6 months except for Real Estate. This is good news as it shows many of the sectors have participated in the rally we have seen. The S&P 500 has also set 30 new record highs so far in 2024, showing the strength of this bull market.

Loser of First Half:  Volatility

If you feel like the first half was a smooth ride higher, you’d be right. The only real volatility we saw in the last 6 months was a brief 5% pullback in April which only lasted a few weeks before a new all-time high was reached. The volatility index (VIX) is on pace to be at its lowest level since 2017 and the 2nd lowest in over 2 decades. Investors are pleased when the VIX is this low because it means the market has been stable and you aren’t seeing these large moves quickly. To put it in perspective the VIX was above 80 during the start of Covid when the market had large swings daily, currently the VIX is below 13. Investors will hope for more of the same in the 2nd half but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a larger pullback in the next 6 months as the main headlines to watch will be, rates, earnings, and the election.

Quiz:

How much did oil prices increase in the first half? (Scroll Down for Answer)

  1.     3%
  2.     7%
  3.     11%
  4.     14%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer below.

 

 

Have a Great Week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer:

4.   14%. Oil prices saw a rise to start the year and was a reason inflation data was not as expected in the beginning of 2024