Notes from the Trading Desk — Our bi-monthly commentary that discusses current news and market observations.

Major U.S. equity indices are coming off a winning first quarter. The S&P 500 gained more than 10% in the quarter, a second straight double-digit quarterly percentage gain and its best start to the year since 2019.

Stocks took a breather last week after their recent record-breaking climb. Declines were broad-based as the tech-heavy Nasdaq posted its second consecutive weekly decline while the small-cap Russell 2000 experienced its worst week of 2024.

U.S. stocks continued their relentless climb to new highs last week. The S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all logged fresh all-time highs in February.

The path of least resistance continues to be higher for U.S. equities. Major U.S. indices logged their fourth consecutive week of gains as mega-cap technology stocks fueled the move higher.

512 trading days later, and at last, the S&P 500 has set a fresh record closing high for the first time since January 2022. The S&P 500 closed at 4,839.81 on January 19th, surpassing the prior record close of 4,796.56 set on...

The rally in stocks persisted throughout the first two weeks of December as interest rates continued to decline across the curve on the back of recent CPI and PPI data and a Federal Reserve policy pivot. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial...

The past weeks have seen a continuation of the market’s positive momentum, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite recording their fourth consecutive week of gains. Over the last month, the S&P 500 has advanced 10.20%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average...

Since the last edition of Notes from the Trading Desk, the S&P 500 has showcased a remarkable display of resilience, recording a gain in nine out of the last ten trading sessions and achieving an impressive 7.2% increase over the past two...

Markets saw continued weakness in the last two weeks of September as long-term yields surged higher. Major U.S. averages closed lower during the period, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 3.31%, the Nasdaq down 3.56%, and the S&P 500 slumping 3.64%.

Markets were slightly lower through the first two weeks of September. Tech was the worst performing sector, which has led to some underperformance of the Nasdaq relative to its peers.

The last few weeks have been largely mixed for equities – though both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq recovered some of the month’s losses last week. Both major indices are in the middle of their worst months since December.

The first half of August was tough for equities. Through the first two weeks, the Nasdaq pulled back almost 5%. The S&P 500 fared a bit better – falling 2.72%.