The Week on Wall Street
Stocks fell for the second straight week on inflation concerns despite a report on consumer prices that was initially well received by investors.
Stocks Slide
Tuesday was the only bright spot during the week as stock prices rose after the Labor Department report showed the Consumer Price Index rose 3.2% in February compared with a year earlier. It was a bit warmer than economists expected but cooler than investors feared. The news sparked a day-long rally, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index setting its 17th record high of the year.1,2
Following Tuesday, caution lingered as investors parsed the underlying data behind headline consumer inflation numbers. Thursday’s fresh producer price index (PPI) report showed that wholesale prices increased by 0.6% in February, more than the expected 0.3% increase. Additionally, core PPI (excluding food and energy) was hotter than expected.
Retail sales, also reported on Thursday, were disappointing, rising less than expected and adding to the inflation angst. The news rattled investors and contributed to stocks closing lower for three consecutive days to end the week.3,4
Broadening Leadership
Unlike the prior week when the S&P 500 fell the least, last week it lost slightly more than the Dow but less than the Nasdaq. That performance pattern suggests market leadership may be broadening. Also, the energy, financials, and materials sectors all posted gains last week, showing that other groups may join the tech-led rally.5
Weekly Riddle
The letters in the words meter, man and uses may be rearranged to make a 12-letter word. What is this word?
Last week’s riddle: The 22nd and 24th U.S. presidents had the same parents– yet the 22nd and 24th U.S. presidents were not siblings. Why?
Answer: The 22nd and 24th U.S. presidents were the same person – Grover Cleveland.
Weekly Riddle
The letters in the words meter, man and uses may be rearranged to make a 12-letter word. What is this word?
Last week’s riddle: The 22nd and 24th U.S. presidents had the same parents– yet the 22nd and 24th U.S. presidents were not siblings. Why?
Answer: The 22nd and 24th U.S. presidents were the same person – Grover Cleveland.
John Dombroski Jr. may be reached at (480) 991-1055 or [email protected]
www.grandcanyonplanning.com
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