By: Gerry Sparrow
Stocks edged higher over the four trading days last week, with the three major averages taking turns leading based on various economic and artificial intelligence (AI) news.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.45 percent–its best week since May–while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 0.61 percent. The Nasdaq Composite, which has led all year, ended flat. The MSCI EAFE Index, tracking developed overseas stock markets, rose 0.94 percent for the week through Thursday’s close.1
Mixed Economic News
All three averages began the week with gains, including new highs for the S&P 500. However, stocks posted only modest gains on Tuesday as mixed economic data came in. Retail sales rose 0.1 percent—less than expected, although better than in April when sales fell.2,3,4
Markets were closed for the Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday.
As the week ended, it was the Dow’s turn to lead as sentiment shifted on mega-cap tech names as investors again questioned the sustainability of AI market drivers. Home prices hit a new high in May—this, paired with high mortgage rates, caused existing home sales to fall for the third consecutive month.4,5
PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.shutterstock.com/g/pandorastudio
Via SHUTTERSTOCK
Footnotes and Sources
1. The Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2024
2. CNBC.com, June 17, 2024
3. The Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2024
4. MarketWatch.com, June 18, 2024
5. The Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2024
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