U.S. Market
Dow Jones
Friday’s Close: 34,798.00
Week’s Change: 213.12
% Change YTD: 13.69
S&P 500
Friday’s Close: 4,455.48
Week’s Change: 22.49
% Change YTD: 18.62%
Nasdaq Composite
Friday’s Close: 15,047.70
Week’s Change: 3.75
% Change YTD: 16.75%
Stocks recover from sell-off
An early sell-off was defeated by the major benchmarks ending the week in a flat to humbly higher manner.
On Monday, the S&P 500 saw its biggest daily drop since 12 May, while briefly dipping below its 100-day moving average.
Yields of long-term bonds were up sharply during the week, helping financial stocks.
Energy stocks
Energy stocks also led the way, within S&P 500, while utilities fell back.
Major factors that affected the gloomy week start
The possibility of a default of Evergrande, China’s second-largest property developer, which was seen as a threat for a global financial “contagion”. Concerns that such an event, would have similar effects with the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, were recorded.
Stocks rebounded on Wednesday.
Stocks
The S&P 500 rose 1% as of 4:01 p.m. New York time
The Nasdaq 100 rose 1%
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1%
The MSCI World index rose 0.6%
Tapering on the way but jobs data a game changer
Fed Chairman, Jerome Powell stated in a Press Conference, after the two-day policy meeting on Wednesday: “Participants generally view, so long as the recovery remains on track, a gradual tapering process that concludes around the middle of next year is likely to be appropriate”, signalling that, tapering of their bond-buying programme is not far away. This move would reduce some pressure on longer-term interest rates.
As job data is always considered an important benchmark for adopting a monetary policy, Fed Chair further noted that, he would be monitoring the labour market before any actions, although he did not need to see the “knockout” report for September.
Individual policymakers’ survey, forecasting the future of official short-term interest rates, was also released by the Fed, which showed a small increase in their median rate expectations. A number of investors interpreted as humbly hawkish signal.
Europe
Optimism about a continuing economic expansion sent markets higher, gains were however restrained due to worries about Chinese property developer, Evergrande.
Pan-European STOXX Europe 600 Index: +0.31%
Germany
XETRA DAX Index: +0.27%
France
CAC 40 Index: +1.04%
Italy
FTSE MIB Index: +1.01%
United Kingdom
FTSE 100 Index: +1.26%
Growth in eurozone economic activity slowed noticeably in September from July’s 15-year high, with Eurozone business activity losing steam.
Japan
Losses for Japan
Japan’s stock markets were closed on Monday for Respect for the Aged Day and on Thursday for Autumnal Equinox Day.
Nikkei 225 Stock Average closed at 30,248.81, modestly lower for the week.
JPY/USD: 110
10-years Japanese government bond: 0.055%
(Written and edited by: The Decision Maker)
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