The Markets (as of market close October 21, 2022)

Wall Street enjoyed a notable surge last week, as investors clung to hopes the Federal Reserve may consider scaling back its aggressive policy stance against rising inflation. A report last Friday indicated that some members of the Fed are willing to debate a smaller interest-rate hike in December, while slowing down the pace of increases moving forward. The Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq notched their largest weekly gains in four months. Investors looked favorably on risk last week after some favorable company quarterly results, lower company stock valuations, and a reversal of economic policy in the United Kingdom, which led to the resignation of its prime minister. Long-term bond yields advanced last week, gold prices closed higher, while the dollar slipped lower. Crude oil prices dipped on fears of a global economic slowdown.

Eye on the Week Ahead

This is an important week for economic data. The initial estimate of the third-quarter gross domestic product is released this week. GDP has retracted over each of the first two quarters of the year declining 0.6% in the second quarter. Also out this week is the September data on personal income and spending. This report includes the personal consumption expenditures price index, a measure of inflation favored by the Federal Reserve.

Data sources: Economic: Based on data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment, inflation); U.S. Department of Commerce (GDP, corporate profits, retail sales, housing); S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Index (home prices); Institute for Supply Management (manufacturing/services). Performance: Based on data reported in WSJ Market Data Center (indexes); U.S. Treasury (Treasury yields); U.S. Energy Information Administration/Bloomberg.com Market Data (oil spot price, WTI, Cushing, OK); www.goldprice.org (spot gold/silver); Oanda/FX Street (currency exchange rates). News items are based on reports from multiple commonly available international news sources (i.e., wire services) and are independently verified when necessary with secondary sources such as government agencies, corporate press releases, or trade organizations. All information is based on sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or guarantee is made as to its accuracy or completeness. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed herein constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, and should not be relied on as financial advice. Forecasts are based on current conditions, subject to change, and may not come to pass. U.S. Treasury securities are guaranteed by the federal government as to the timely payment of principal and interest. The principal value of Treasury securities and other bonds fluctuates with market conditions. Bonds are subject to inflation, interest-rate, and credit risks. As interest rates rise, bond prices typically fall. A bond sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal, and there can be no guarantee that any investing strategy will be successful.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a price-weighted index composed of 30 widely traded blue-chip U.S. common stocks. The S&P 500 is a market-cap weighted index composed of the common stocks of 500 largest, publicly traded companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a market-value weighted index of all common stocks listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The Russell 2000 is a market-cap weighted index composed of 2,000 U.S. small-cap common stocks. The Global Dow is an equally weighted index of 150 widely traded blue-chip common stocks worldwide. The U.S. Dollar Index is a geometrically weighted index of the value of the U.S. dollar relative to six foreign currencies. Market indexes listed are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment.