The first quarter of 2024 was a record-setting one for the markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq Composite all hit all-time highs during the first three months of the year in response to positive economic signals an stronger earnings momentum.
The Institute of Supply Management released data this week about the manufacturing and services sectors. Factory activity expanded in March for the first time since September 2022 thanks to stronger demand...
The US economy grew at a 3.3% annual rate during the fourth quarter, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data released yesterday...
In a light week for economic data, traders focused on the initial unemployment claims data from the Labor Department.
The last few weeks saw a lot of important data released by various government agencies culminating in the monthly employment report last Friday. This week the calendar was lighter. Of note was the weekly initial unemployment claims reading from the Labor Department. In the week ending November 4, the number of claims fell to 217,000 while the four-week moving average rose to 212,250.
The question on the minds of most investors has been the same one for many quarteres: What is the Fed's next move? After hiking its benchmark federal funds rate at an aggressive pace in 2022 and more moderate pace in the first half of 2023, the Federal Reserve has begun to tap the brakes on its acceleration.