Stocks spent most of the week tearing higher
Stocks waltzed into the week already on a tear higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) settling Monday with their sixth-straight gain, while the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) saw its seventh consecutive jump. The momentum held strong throughout the week as Treasury yields pulled back and earnings rolled in. Comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell brought the major benchmarks back down to earth toward the end of the week, however, but not before the SPX and IXIC scored their best string of gains in roughly two years.
Ultimately, the market’s rally came to an end on Thursday, while the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) snapped an eight-session losing streak. As of Friday afternoon, the SPX and IXIC were each pacing for their second consecutive weekly win, while the blue-chip index was on pace for its third weekly loss in four.
Earnings Season Going Strong
It was another jam-packed week in the earnings confessional. The electric vehicle (EV) space was abuzz, following quarterly updates from several heavy-hitters. The rideshare market was also in focus, on the heels of reports from Uber Technologies (UBER) and Lyft (LYFT). Meanwhile, Planet Fitness (PLNT) surged after a massive third-quarter beat.
Switching over to technology sector, Roblox (RBLX) had an impressive post-earnings reaction, adding roughly 20% after beating analysts’ estimate’s. Rounding things out, crypto stocks got a boost after Bitcoin (BTC) surged to 18-month highs, while Twilio’s (TWLO) post-earnings rally ran into technical pressure on the charts.
Slew of Inflation Data Coming Next Week
A bevy of blue chips are set to report earnings next week, including Cisco (CSCO), Home Depot (HD), Target (TGT), and Walmart (WMT). Plus, some highly anticipated inflation data is slated for release. For those of the forward thinking persuasion, here are several reasons to purchase portfolio protection now, and why Mondays are outperforming this year.
Image and article originally from www.schaeffersresearch.com. Read the original article here.