The Week on Wall Street
Stocks took a breather last week as investors digested the previous week’s surge and the month-to-date solid gains.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.67%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 1.39%. The Nasdaq Composite index dropped 1.44% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, tumbled 2.00%.1,2,3
Rally Stalls
The stock market drifted lower last week as the tug-of-war between bulls and bears played out in a week that was light on market-moving news.
After falling in the first days of a holiday-shortened trading week, stocks rebounded on Thursday to recover some of the week’s losses. Stocks looked past Congressional testimony by Fed Chair Powell, who said two more rate hikes are likely in the wake of interest rate hikes by central bankers in the U.K., Switzerland, Norway, and Turkey.
The retreat continued into Friday, fueled by global growth fears from new economic data indicating more robust economic slowdowns in the eurozone, Japan, and Australia.
Housing Sentiment Improves
Home builders’ confidence edged into positive territory for the first time in 11 months, aided by strong demand, low inventory, and a recovering supply chain. May’s new home sales, which rose 21.7%–the most significant percentage gain since October 2016, validated this confidence. The number of new home starts in May (1.63 million) hit a 13-month high, with both single- and multi-family homes up substantially.4,5
Sales of existing homes in May rose 0.2% month-over-month while declining 20.4% from a year ago. The existing home market continues to suffer from low inventory and still-high prices. The median price of a home sold in May declined 3.1% year-over-year to $396,100.6
Weekly Riddle
You hold 3 U.S. coins in your hand. None of them are dimes, pennies, or quarters. They total 60¢. What 3 coins do you have in hand?
Last week’s riddle: A major league pitcher faces just 27 hitters in a baseball game. He retires all of them, allowing no runs and no hits. Still, his team loses the game 4-0. How is this possible?
Answer: He was a relief pitcher.
John Dombroski Jr. may be reached at (480) 991-1055 or [email protected]
www.grandcanyonplanning.com
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