Month: August 2015

August 30. 2015

Market Review

U.S. stocks wrapped up one of the most tumultuous weeks of trading in recent memory with modest weekly gains after closing little changed on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished at 16,643.01. The blue chip index was down 6.6 percent at its lows for the week and ended up 1.1 percent in its biggest reversal since the last week of October 1987. The S&P 500 recorded a 0.9 percent weekly gain to close at 1,988.87. The broad index?s 0.9 percent gain for the week masks a volatile period in which the benchmark plunged the most since 2011 to enter a correction, only to rally more than 6 percent over two days. The gauge is down 5.5 percent for the month. The Nasdaq Composite finished at 4,828.32. The tech-index ended up 2.6 percent for the week, recovering more than a 8.79 percent plunge, in its biggest intra-week reversal on record. The index is the only major average positive for the year so far. Most key S&P sectors ended in positive territory for the week, led by energy. Utilities were the only decliners. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded above 27. Read More

August 23. 2015

Market Review

Right in line with our recent call, U.S. stocks finished the week with deep losses and with the main benchmarks recording their deepest weekly declines since 2011. For the week the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 5.8 percent to 16,459.55, marking a pullback of more than 10 percent from its record close set in May. The S&P 500 also lost 5.8 percent over the week to end at 1,970.90. Both, the Dow and the S&P 500, posted their biggest weekly declines since September 2011. The Nasdaq declined 6.8 percent from the week ago close to finish at 4,706.04. The weekly fall was the largest for the tech-heavy index since August 2011. Energy was the worst decliner for the week, with no sectors posting weekly gains. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded above 28. Read More

August 16. 2015

Market Review

All three major U.S. averages finished the week with modest gains. For the week the Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out a small gain of 0.6 percent to end at 17,477.40. The S&P 500 added 0.7 percent for the week to finish at 2,091.54. The Nasdaq advanced 0.1 percent from the week-ago close to 5,048.24. Energy and financials led gainers among the S&P?s 10 major sectors. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded near 13. Read More

August 09. 2015

Market Review

U.S. stocks finished the week with losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.8 percent over the week to 17,373.38. The longest losing streak for the index since the height of the debt-ceiling drama in the summer of 2011. The S&P 500 dropped 1.3 percent for the week to finish at 2,077.57. The Nasdaq lost 1.7 percent for the week to end at 5,043.54. Most key S&P sectors ended in negative territory for the week, led by energy. Utilities were the only gainers. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded above 14. Read More

August 02. 2015

Market Review

U.S. stocks finished the week with modest gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7 percent for the week to finish at 17,690.66. The blue-chip index booked a 0.4 percent gain over the month. The S&P 500 added 1.2 percent for the week to close at 2,103.90. The broad index booked a 2 percent gain over the month. The Nasdaq advanced 0.8 percent for the week to end at 5,218.28. The technology-laden index recorded a monthly gain of 2.9 percent. Among the key S&P sectors, utilities were the best weekly performer, while energy dragged. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded near 12.5. Read More