Category Archives: Economy/Stock Market

The U.S. Markets were closed Monday, commemorating Presidents Day; however, the break from trading didn’t stop indices from sliding into red territory on Tuesday, marking the first declines for the indices since they entered correction territory on Feb. 8. The decline continued Wednesday as concerns about higher interest rates resurfaced with the release of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting minutes from the January meeting.

The major indices closed in green territory on Monday as commodity prices stabilized. Energy stocks moved ahead on an increase in crude oil prices. The following day, the indices closed with slight gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending in the green zone, rebounding up off early low levels.

Indices closed well into red territory on Monday with both the S&P 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average declining more than 4%. Oil also slipped 1.9% to settle at $64.24 a barrel. Meanwhile, services industry activity increased in January as the ISM non-manufacturing index jumped to 59.9 from 56 in December.

Indices closed in the red zone on Monday, as the Utilities and Energy sectors lagged on the S&P 500. The slip continued Tuesday with the major indices closing the session in red territory. Energy brands dipped on a slip in crude oil prices. Midweek, the indices rebounded up off back-to-back downswings with stocks stepping up on a variety of economic news.

For the week, favorable corporate earnings reports and a 2.6% annual rate of growth for the fourth-quarter GDP helped buoy investors’ confidence in equities. The market kicked off the week with indices again closing in new record territory on Monday. Stocks stepped up as the Senate arrived at a deal to resume full government activity.

With the markets closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they made up during the rest of the week with plenty of action and new all-time highs. Indices landed slightly to the red side on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped above 26,000 for the first time before retreating for the session. Energy brands declined amid a dip in oil prices.

Most investors want to know what is driving the economy—where are we and where are we going? And, most importantly, what does this mean for the investor? While there are many moving parts to an economy, some of the catalysts that are affecting today’s economy include the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, the U.S. government shutdown,…