Shades of the Late 90s: S&P Poised to Be Best Year Since 1997

With just three more sessions left in the year, the S&P 500 is on the cusp of becoming the best year for stock investors in 22 years, since 1997, recollecting back to the halcyon days of the tech and dotcom boom (and subsequent bust).

With the close on Thursday of 3,229.91, the S&P is up 29.24%. Friday's futures are pointing to a positive open, and the index needs to gain just less than 12 points to surpass 2013's gain of 29.60% to become not just the best year of the decade, but of the nascent 21st century. 22 years ago, in 1997, the index gained 31.01%, and that was on the back of gains of 34% and 20% in 1995 and 1996, respectively.

Closing out 2018 on December 31 at 2,506.85, the S&P has piled on more than 700 points, but not all of that was in record territory. Recall that the final three months of 2018 were downright frightening to investors, as the index tumbled from a September 20 closing high of 2,930.75 to a low of 2,351.10 on December 24, prior to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's (in)famous phone call, purportedly, to the Plunge Protection Team (PPT), aka the President's Working Group on Financial Markets.

The rest is for the history books or maybe Christmas fantasies. The tremendous slide in stocks was halted with the market closed on December 25. The index had declined from 2,743.79 on November 28 by nearly 400 points and that was after the nearly 300 point losses from late September through October with a brief rally prior to Thanksgiving.

On the 26th of December, stocks boomed, with the S&P gaining an astonishing 116 points, standing at 2,467.70 on the close of trading. Wall Street's worst fears had been vanquished. Stability returned and little by little stocks came back into favor, with slow but steady gains through the early months of 2019, finally setting a new all-time high on April 23rd, when the index closed at 2,933.68. The mini bear market lasted all of seven months.

Through the middle of the year, gains were sporadic due to tensions over the trade war between China and the United States, though any negative news was quickly dispatched with hope for a breakthrough in days following. This kind of knee-jerk up and down action continued through summer and into the fall, with the index first bounding through the 3,000 mark on July 12.

The celebration was short-lived, however, as the index dipped back below 2,850 in mid-August, but began to gather momentum which carried it through the end of the third quarter. From October 1 forward to today, the S&P has tacked on nearly another 300 points, cresting over 3,000 again for the final time on October 23. The gains in November and December alone are approaching 200 points, about seven percent.

Should the S&P close out the year with reasonable gains - and there's little reason to believe that it won't - it could be the beginning of something big, if one is a believer in the predictive nature of charts and the cyclical behavior of stocks, politics and people.

Going back to 1995, when the S&P pumped higher by 34.11% - the best gain since 1958 - the following four years were all solid ones for investors. A 20.26% gain in 1996 was followed by gains of 31.01 in 1997, 26.67 in '98, and 19.53 in 1999. Those were also the years of Bill Clinton's second term as president of the United States, and, similarly to today's political circus, he was impeached, his affair with Monica Lewinsky occurring in 1994, his eventual impeachment by the House of Representatives and subsequent acquittal by the Senate in 1998.

While the parallels between the final years of the 1990s to today's market and political environment may be described as strikingly similar there is no assuredness that the same bounty will befall investors during what is likely to be President Trump's second term in office. Since the recent impeachment fiasco has fallen flat and is currently stalled out, perhaps the Democrats in the House will go for a second try after the elections in November of next year (or maybe even before).

Democrats' undying allegiance to the faith of "orange man bad" is assured. However, it appears that the president, for all his warts and flaws and tweets, has been doing a bang-up job on the economy, and it's his successes that have triggered the Dems' ire for the most part. If the Senate remains in Republican hands, it's a safe bet that Trump will reign for four more years, and that possibly, his economic policies (remember, he's made and lost billions of dollars in private life over the years) will usher in four more years of outstanding returns on the stock market.

One caveat to bear in mind. After 1999, some may remember what happened. The tech boom went bust. The S&P lost 10.14% in 2000, 13.14% in 2001, and 23.37% in 2002. Of course, the NASDAQ fared much worse, losing 78% over the same three years.

As we approach a new decade, think positive thoughts.

At the Close, Thursday, December 26, 2019:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 28,621.39, +105.94 (+0.37%)
NASDAQ: 9,022.39, +69.51 (+0.78%)
S&P 500: 3,239.91, +16.53 (+0.51%)
NYSE Composite: 13,940.42, +45.28 (+0.33%)

Stocks Reverse Course, But Do Not Recover Recent Losses; ADP Jobs Misses Target

After three days of losses, stocks bounced back on Wednesday, though they did not recover all of the ground lost.

Since the close Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving, the Dow is down over 500 points, the NASDAQ has shed 140 points, and the S&P 500 is off 40 points. The bounce on Wednesday, December 4, recovered less than half of the recent declines. Though the losses are nothing serious in the larger scheme of things, they are signaling that at least some of the investment community are not convinced the US economy, or US corporations, are in the best of ways. Thus, profits are being taken off the table. Further declines will feed into more year-end profit-taking and further loss prevention.

Recent movement in bonds also suggests that a countertrend is developing, with money shifting from risk assets into the bond market, where returns are low but widely accepted as safer than stocks. When money flows out of dividend-producing equities into treasuries or corporate debt, it's a sure sign that investors are nervous about the future direction. Last December witnessed massive declines, bordering on sending the stock market into bearish conditions, though at decline was stopped short by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, whose message to the President's Working Group on Financial Markets (AKA the Plunge Protection Team, or PPT) was clearly designed to rescue the stock market from rampant year-end selling.

Actions taken by the Working Group served to stem the tide of sellers and produce robust gains though the better part of 2019. With the year nearing an end, stocks are once again close to all-time highs, though recent data does not support such lofty valuations. From ISM manufacturing coming in below expectations, to Wednesday's ADP private sector jobs report for November, which reported an increase of just 67,000 jobs. The payroll number was well below the expected 150,000, and was the slowest growth since May.

Analysts are warning that the ADP number may be in stark contrast to what the BLS reports in Friday's non-farm payroll data, because the ADP report did not include General Motors workers returning from strike, whereas the BLS data will include those returning workers as "jobs added." The non-farm report for November is expected to show job gains in the range of 180,000 to 187,000 on Friday, up from 128,000 in October.

It makes reading the tea leaves of market sentiment and data just a little more confusing than it already is, given the daily up-and-down movements prompted by the changing signals regarding a US trade deal with China. The trade war has been and will continue to be the main directional driver of the stock market, probably for longer than most people would entertain. The Chinese appear intent on waiting out President Trump until the 2016 election in November, and it also appears that mr. Trump is fine with that.

A non-deal on trade can only cause more consternation for investors wishing to get a real perspective on the macro side of things, though one doesn't have to look far to see that global trade has been and continues to slip and slide away. Overall, global conditions are not suitable to induce a stock market rally, though they are also not severe enough to cause a crash. A slow grind down may be the path of least resistance, with days and weeks of gains and losses speckling the index charts.

At the Close, Wednesday, December 4, 2019:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 27,649.78, +146.97 (+0.53%)
NASDAQ: 8,566.67, +46.03 (+0.54%)
S&P 500: 3,112.76, +19.56 (+0.63%)
NYSE Composite: 13,457.97, +91.88 (+0.69%)

Washington's Impeachment Addiction, Trade Fiasco, Brexit, Global Condition Damaging Wall Street

The headline says it all. Things are coming apart at a rapid rate. Anybody who is even the least bit jittery is moving out of stocks as fast as possible. Rerun of last year's fourth quarter massacre is commencing apace. This iteration may be comparable to the New England Patriots playing a football game against a high school girl's rugby team.

More than caution is needed. A little panic would do the world's markets some good and maybe get the back-slapping bureaucrats and politicians to actually do some thing constructive (fat chance).

China will not negotiate fairly and especially so until the impeachment chorus is silenced for good. Even if President Trump is elected to a second term, Democrats will not stop their harassment, but likely accelerate efforts to remove him from office by any means. One saving grace could come from Republicans recapturing the House of Representatives, but that's a real Hail Mary.

In England, the anti-democratic forces are pushing ahead toward four years since the original referendum to leave the European Union was approved by the general population (June 23, 2016). Since, there has been a non-stop war waged against the wishes of the people. With no apparently-workable deal in sight, it may be the case that Britain won't leave the EU at all until the people rise up against their government. All is needed is a spark, in Britain, in the US, in China, everywhere, for the global condition to turn to global contagion and conflagration.

The global condition - which has generally been worsening since September 11, 2001 - is deteriorating at a quickened pace. There will be pain, but, in the end, if one is consistent, conservative, and constructive, a better future lies just ahead.

At the Close, Monday, October 7, 2019:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 26,478.02, -95.70 (-0.36%)
NASDAQ: 7,956.29, -26.18 (-0.33%)
S&P 500: 2,938.79, -13.22 (-0.45%)
NYSE Composite: 12,777.74, -53.81 (-0.42%)

Former NY Fed Goldmanite Dudley Attacks President Trump on Bloomberg Platform

It doesn't get any more transparent than this.

For anyone who doesn't already know, the Federal Reserve System is a private banking operation that controls the currency of the United States of America. The "System" issues "notes" at interest. The long-standing assumption is that the Fed is objective, impartial, and apolitical. Here's a taste of that "objectivism" from former NY Fed president, William Dudley.

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with China keeps undermining the confidence of businesses and consumers, worsening the economic outlook. This manufactured disaster-in-the-making presents the Federal Reserve with a dilemma: Should it mitigate the damage by providing offsetting stimulus, or refuse to play along?

If the ultimate goal is a healthy economy, the Fed should seriously consider the latter approach.

Dudley states unequivocally that the President's trade policy is harmful and that the Fed should determine how to respond. Not exactly impartial, is it?

Here's more:

The Fed’s monetary policy makers typically take what happens outside their realm as a given, and then make the adjustments needed to pursue their goals of stable prices and maximum employment. They place little weight on how their actions will affect decisions in other areas, such as government spending or trade policy. The Fed, for example, wouldn’t hold back on interest-rate cuts to compel Congress to provide fiscal stimulus instead. Staying above the political fray helps the central bank maintain its independence.

So, according to conventional wisdom, if Trump’s trade war with China hurts the U.S. economic outlook, the Fed should respond by adjusting monetary policy accordingly — in this case by cutting interest rates. But what if the Fed’s accommodation encourages the president to escalate the trade war further, increasing the risk of a recession? The central bank’s efforts to cushion the blow might not be merely ineffectual. They might actually make things worse.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has hinted that he is aware of the problem. At the central bank’s annual conference in Jackson Hole last week, he noted that monetary policy cannot “provide a settled rulebook for international trade.” I see this as a veiled reference to the trade war, and a warning that the Fed’s tools are not well suited to mitigate the damage.

Yet the Fed could go much further. Officials could state explicitly that the central bank won’t bail out an administration that keeps making bad choices on trade policy, making it abundantly clear that Trump will own the consequences of his actions.

Again, Dudley appears to favor the Federal Reserve acting in a manner that runs contrary to the policy of the president. While that may be objective, it is hardly impartial...

...and it gets worse:

Such a harder line could benefit the Fed and the economy in three ways. First, it would discourage further escalation of the trade war, by increasing the costs to the Trump administration. Second, it would reassert the Fed’s independence by distancing it from the administration’s policies. Third, it would conserve much-needed ammunition, allowing the Fed to avoid further interest-rate cuts at a time when rates are already very low by historical standards.

I understand and support Fed officials’ desire to remain apolitical. But Trump’s ongoing attacks on Powell and on the institution have made that untenable. Central bank officials face a choice: enable the Trump administration to continue down a disastrous path of trade war escalation, or send a clear signal that if the administration does so, the president, not the Fed, will bear the risks — including the risk of losing the next election.

There’s even an argument that the election itself falls within the Fed’s purview. After all, Trump’s reelection arguably presents a threat to the U.S. and global economy, to the Fed’s independence and its ability to achieve its employment and inflation objectives. If the goal of monetary policy is to achieve the best long-term economic outcome, then Fed officials should consider how their decisions will affect the political outcome in 2020.

To Dudley's globalized mind, Trump's trade policies are "disastrous" and imperil his chances at "re-election." Since when are the unelected members of the Federal Reserve experts on election politics? Dudley's remarks reek of political partisanship.

The author and editor's emails are provided here as a public service. In a sane world, Dudley's email in-box would be flooded with contrarian opinions. The world of 2019 does not seem to be particularly sane, however.

To contact the author of this story: Bill Dudley at wcdudley53@gmail.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Whitehouse at mwhitehouse1@bloomberg.net

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Bill Dudley is a senior research scholar at Princeton University’s Center for Economic Policy Studies. He served as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 2009 to 2018, and as vice chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee. He was previously chief U.S. economist at Goldman Sachs.

Other than the yield curve re-inverting and stocks reversing course midday, nothing much happened in the world of investing on Tuesday.

At the Close, Tuesday, August 27, 2019:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 25,777.90, -120.93 (-0.47%)
NASDAQ: 7,826.95, -26.79 (-0.34%)
S&P 500: 2,869.16, -9.22 (-0.32%)
NYSE Composite: 12,474.05, -45.57 (-0.36%)

WEEKEND WRAP: Another Shaky Week for Stocks; Bond, Gold, Silver Rallies Extend

As the global ponzi turns, the week now left behind shares a trails of tears and cheers, sadness for equity holders, joyous celebrations in the bond pits as US rates re-approach the zero-bound (despite the Fed's reluctance).

While stocks bounced like a rubber ball on a string, the losses were limited by some mysterious dip-buying mid-week as news flow changed not just by the day, but seemingly by the hour.

At the same time, the bond market in the US was mimicking Japan and Europe, grinding yields lower, with the 10-year note closing out the week at 1.74%, which is lower than the 1,2,3,6-month and one-year yields, making the case for an already inverted yield curve. The 2-year continues to be resilient, though one has to wonder how much longer it can hold the narrow margin below the 10-year, which is currently a scant 11 basis points (1.63%).

Precious metals have also benefitted from global uncertainty, with gold hovering around $1500 and silver teasing the $17.00 mark. Both are significantly higher from lows spotted in late May. The ascent of the metals has been swift and without any major pullback. If the metals are in an overbought condition, they certainly aren't showing any signs of it. As usual, however, the persistence of central banks to keep "real money" on its heels is probably keeping PMs from going vertical. That story seems to have no end, except that a hyperbolic rise in gold and silver would signal the death of not just the US dollar, but probably all fiat currencies in use by every nation, developed or not. After fiat finds its proper value (ZERO), barter will follow. It's a natural progression. The central question, as has been for centuries, is, "what do you give for a live chicken?"

Though it may appear that the global economy is about to implode, it's useful to be reminded that the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) is well beyond its 10th anniversary, thanks to massive infusions of counterfeit fiat ladled out to the unwashed by the BOJ, FRS, BOE, SNB, PBOC, ECB. Spelling out the acronyms somehow yields negative interest rates and the death of money. Nobody knows when this will occur, but it will, and the effects will devastate many. Think billions of people, not just millions.

In the interim, as the world is roiled by international, geopolitical events, the wall of worry is being built upon the current crises (not in any particular order):

• The Epstein "suicide"
• Honk Hong protests
• Brexit
• Trade War and tariffs
• Middle East tensions
• Mass Shootings, Gun Control Legislation, Red Flaw Laws (won't happen)
• 2020 presidential election hijinks
• Ongoing migrations (Africa to Europe, South America to North America, China to Africa)

That's more than enough to keep traders up at night and on their collective toes during the days ahead.

Incidentally, all of this anguish has shielded the markets somewhat from a less-than-rousing second quarter earnings season, even as the corporates float through the third quarter. The Dow Transports re-entered correction territory two weeks past week and extended it last week with the worst showing of all the US indices, by far.

Recession is almost a certainly, though it needn't be particularly horrible for the US, since employment is still strong, despite weakening earnings in the large cap corporate sector. Since the US is a very big country, different areas will be affected in different ways. Areas of the country that have been growing (most of the South, Midwest and Pacific Northwest) will continue to do so, albeit at a slower pace. Those areas in decline (Northeast cities, California, rural enclaves) will see conditions worsen. Those areas in decline will continue to do so through good times and bad and some may be exacerbated by outflows of high income individuals due to SALT taxes. It's a big country, a panacea for speculators with long time horizons.

At the Close, Friday, August 9:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 26,287.44, -90.76 (-0.34%)
NASDAQ: 7,959.14, -80.02 (-1.00%)
S&P 500: 2,918.65, -19.44 (-0.66%)
NYSE Composite: 12,748.42, -80.38 (-0.63%)

For the Week:
Dow Industrials: -197.57 (-0.75%)
Dow Jones Transports: -167.22 (-1.61%)
NASDAQ: -44.93 (-0.56%)
S&P 500: -13.40 (-0.46%)
NYSE Composite: -91.08 (-0.71%)

Panic Sets in as US-China Trade Spat Intensifies

On the road, so this will be a drive-by posting...

On Monday, stocks suffered their worst session of 2019 after China, without warning, devalued their currency, the yuan, in response to US demands for increased tariffs on imports.

President Trump announced that he would tack on a 10% tariff on a variety of Chinese goods - many of them consumer staples - on September first. The response from China was not entirely unexpected, though it took Wall Street and stock traders around the globe, mostly by surprise.

Intraday, the Dow was lower by more than 900 points, but rallied slightly into the close. It was still one of the worst days in recent memory for all US indices.

As Tuesday's trading approaches, US futures have turned positive as China pegged its currency at a higher level overnight, to everyone's relief.

While Monday's panic may appear to be a one-off, the trade war continues to roil markets on a regular basis. Until the two major trading partners agree to play nice and work out some kind of long-term deal, these kinds of shock events will continue to plague investors.

At the close, Monday, August 5, 2019:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 25,717.74, -767.27 (-2.90%)
NASDAQ: 7,726.04, -278.03 (-3.47%)
S&P 500: 2,844.74, -87.31 (-2.98%)
NYSE Composite: 12,497.31, -342.20 (-2.67%)

Blood on the Tracks: Transportation Average in Correction

It's been a rough month for transportation stocks and Monday's tumble sent the Dow Jones Transportation Average back into correction territory, a condition unnoticed by financial pundits who are supposed to be on top of such events.

Maybe it's because the transports - and the rest of the stock universe - has had a happy 2019 thus far, but the previous high referenced by the ^DJT dates back to September 14.

The S&P and NASDAQ set new all-time highs earlier this month, but the Industrials, like the Trannys, harken back to 2018. October 3 to be precise.

While the other indices took sizable hits on Monday, they are each down around five to six percent, but the transports have been taking it on the chin of late, their pronounced decline due, no doubt, to ongoing trade tensions with China. Since trade and transportation are so heavily intertwined, it doesn't take a mastermind to figure why the transports have been treated so harshly.

With the trade scenario likely to continue devolving, expect no relief in the transport sector. The next key points for the average is around 9900 (the October lows) and 8637 (late December). Should the transports continue their descent from here, expect the other indices to follow suit, which means the peals of panic will be loud and sustained.

This entire exercise in trade trolling will eventually work itself out and the Chinese are likely to end up on the losing side. As President Trump never fails to highlight, they've been winning for decades, and it's time to turn the tables, at least a little bit. It's not like the Chinese empire will return to the 18th century, though, because they've got trade tentacles everywhere. The US is seeking better terms, and they're almost certain to get them because China will be pragmatic. They will not risk losing power control over trade with just one country, even though that country is their biggest customer.

China will politely bow, the president will rightly claim a victory, stocks will be lower, but they will spring back, like they always do. President Trump's trade policies are disruptive, but, they will benefit US business interests in the long term. They're nothing to be panicked about and certainly aren't going to threaten the US economy in any grand fashion.

In the meantime, however, the transports and industrials are probably going to take a significant hit. Figure another 15-20% on the trannys and 10-15% downside for the indys.

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 25,324.99, -617.38 (-2.38%)
NASDAQ: 7,647.02, -269.92 (-3.41%)
S&P 500: 2,811.87, -69.53 (-2.41%)
NYSE Composite: 12,526.71, -261.43 -2.04%
Dow Jones Transportation Average: 10,305.85, -296.34 (-2.80%)

Friday Meltdown Leaves Stocks Near Lowest Levels of Year; All Major Indices In Correction

After the first week of December ended in tears, there were glimmers of hope for a rebound in stocks as the clock ticked closer to Christmas and the end of the consumer shopping/spending season.

While retail sales - as especially so, online sales - continued strong, stocks suffered through another week of volatility, though it didn't actually present itself until the very end.

The Dow was up a bit over 200 points as of Thursday's close, but at the opening bell on Friday it was apparent those gains would not hold. In the end, the Dow lost nearly 500 points on the day, sent that index into correction, along with the S&P, joining the NASDAQ, NYSE Composite, and the Dow Jones Transportation Average.

The tailwinds of the recent selloff have its roots in October, when the Dow most a cumulative 1,345 points. November's gains were only 426, but the Dow is down another 1438 points in December, challenging the closing low of the year, 23,533.20 on March 23.

Besides the usual concern over profits and/or losses, financial markets have plenty of issues to keep investors up at night. There's the continuing Brexit issues, which nearly cost Prime Minister Teresa May her government, and coming up this week is the Fed's FOMC meeting in which the federal funds rate is supposed to be hiked another 25 basis points, along with the real possibility of a particle government shutdown over budget issues, primarily concerning President Trump's promised border wall, and the funding of such.

So, instead of being perplexed over dollars and cents, Wall Street seems more focused on politics and nonsense, as the relentless - mostly baseless - attacks on Mr. Trump continue to overhang every discussion policy and threaten to throw the entire country into chaos.

Form a technical point of view, stocks are in very dangerous territory. The dreaded "death cross," in which the 50-day moving average falls below the 200-day moving average, occurred last week on the S&P, had already happened in mid-November on the NYSE Composite Index, made its appearance the last day of November on the NASDAQ and is maybe two more days away from happening on the Dow.

It's a fairly obvious phenomenon, which points up near-term weakness. When both the 50 and 200-day moving averages point lower in such a condition, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that a hungry bear is roaming free in the forest.

Despite trading having been buoyant during most recent holiday seasons, this one appears to be rather different. There's a distinct possibility of a global slowdown, especially since retail sales and industrial production in China both slowed in November. While politically-oriented pundits will point to Trump's trade war with the Chinese as the culprit, the issue seems to be more complex and deep-seated than such a superficial analysis suggests. China's economy, built on massive credit expansion, ghost cities, and often spurious economic data, has been booming for 20 years and has been due for a slowdown, correction, or even recession. As is the case with the longest bull market in US history, nothing lasts forever.

Any gains in the coming weeks are likely to be eaten away rather quickly as profit-taking is followed by loss prevention. Even as the Fed raises rates, bond yields should continue trending lower as investors seek safety and shun profligate speculation.

Dow Jones Industrial Average December Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
12/3/18	25,826.43	+287.97	+287.97
12/4/18	25,027.07	-799.36	-511.39
12/6/18	24,947.67	-79.40	-590.79
12/7/18	24,388.95	-558.72	-1149.51
12/10/18	24,423.26	+34.31	-1115.20
12/11/18	24,370.24	-53.02	-1168.22
12/12/18	24,527.27	+157.03	-1011.19
12/13/18	24,597.38	+70.11	-941.08
12/14/18	24,100.51	-496.87	-1437.95

At the Close, Friday, December 14, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 24,100.51, -496.87 (-2.02%)
NASDAQ: 6,910.67, -159.67 (-2.26%)
S&P 500: 2,599.95, -50.59 (-1.91%)
NYSE Composite: 11,755.38, -180.82 (-1.51%)

For the Week:
Dow: -288.44 (-1.18%)
NASDAQ: -58.59 (-0.84%)
S&P 500: -33.13 (-1.26%
NYSE Composite: -186.55 (-1.56%)

Stocks Spurt On Tariff Truce; 3-5 Yield Curve Inverts

There was good news on the trade front, but bad news concerning a possible recession.

At the conclusion of the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires, President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, announced a 90-day moratorium on tariffs set to take effect on January 1, 2019. Some of the tariffs already in place were set to increase while new tariffs on a variety of goods were to take effect on the new year, but the leaders of the world's two largest economies decided on a cooling-off period and further talks before proceeding.

That good news sent futures soaring in pre-market trading, the euphoria spilling over into the regular session. Barely noticed - and un-noted by the financial press - was a minor inversion in interest rates, with the yield on the 5-year note (2.83%) falling below that of the 3-year treasury note (2.84%).

Though it's not the inversion that most economists are looking for in terms of portending a recession, the minor inversion is a warning shot. The 2-year and 10-year notes are the fear standard, with an inverted curve of those rates consistently preceding every recession since 1955. Currently the 2-year note stands at a yield of 2.83%, while the 10-year holds at 2.98%, notably below 3.00%, after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell softened his stance on rate hikes last week.

Thus, there's a split narrative that threatens to put a lid on gains in the near term. Trade wars have been postponed, for now, but 90 days isn't long enough to establish new guidelines between China and the USA. With the Fed set to raise and check, interest rates are going to give them some maneuverability, though not much, with the federal funds rate settling in somewhere between 2.25 and 2.50%.

Bond vigilantes brought the 10-year note down below the Maginot Line of 3.0% on the first trading day of December. That's more than enough speculation as to where interest rates are headed. In a word, nowhere. The ancillary note is on growth - both domestic and global - which has had a bit of a bump thanks to US strength, but pockets of malaise are popping up everywhere. There seems to be no smooth path heading into 2019, so, after a boost from the Fed and another from the international trading community, this early December rally may not have enough gusto to carry it past the FOMC meeting and through the holidays.

Much emphasis will be put on consumer spending, though with an early Thanksgiving, holiday spending might just peter out a week before Christmas.

It's not all doom and gloom. It's more like murky, with a light at the end of some tunnel.

Dow Jones Industrial Average December Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
12/3/18	25,826.43	+287.97	+287.97

At the Close, Monday, December 3, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 25,826.43, +287.97 (+1.13%)
NASDAQ: 7,441.51, +110.98 (+1.51%)
S&P 500: 2,790.37, +30.20 (+1.09%)
NYSE Composite: 12,577.54, +120.00 (+0.96%)

Weekend Wrap: Myopic Markets Ignoring Broader, Global Issues

Extending declines from last Friday, stocks took a severe nose-dive on Monday and the carnage continued through to Wednesday, with the first three days of the week wiping out most, if not all market gains from earlier in the month.

The Dow Industrials were hit hardest. Even with winning sessions on Thursday and Friday to close out the week, the blue chips ended with one of the more serious declines of the year, a solid 2.22% rip. Though tech stocks were blamed for most of the drop, the price declines in oil and most of the other components contributed to send Dow stocks lower, as the price of WTI crude hit a year-old bottom on Wednesday before recovering the final two days of the trading week.

Chevron (CVX) and ExxonMobil (XOM), the two energy components in the Dow 30, took it on the chin early in the week, but Chevron actually finished the week about where it started and ExxonMobil ended the week down just two points, or, about 2.5%.

Apple (AAPL) was a big driver to the downside, down nearly five percent at week's end, though it was off about nine percent at the close on Wednesday. The early part of the week saw selling contributions from most of the component stocks and slight recoveries in the latter stages.

Once again, volatility was notable and seems not to be slacking. The widely-watched VIX popped well over 20 as the week progressed, but settled back in the high teems, closing at 18.14 on Friday. That is still an elevated level over the complacency of the past few years, which saw the VIX hanging solidly in the 10-13 range for extended periods.

On the international front, the usual knee-jerking on every utterance, press release, or rumor surrounding a trade deal-or-no-deal between the US and China continued. It's being set up as a foil to be used by the financial press to explain every up-and-down in markets, when in fact, trade with China is much less an issue than say, the Fed's relentless interest rate increases or the possibility of a looming Eurozone-wide recession.

Industrial production in Europe was anemic in the third quarter, with increases of 0.3, 1.1, and 0.9 for July, August and September. As compared to the same quarter in the prior year, the average of 0.77 is dwarfed by 2017's average of four percent. Such a huge decline cannot be taken lightly, though it is rarely - if ever - mentioned in US financial coverage. Contributing to the growing concerns in Europe is the recent Brexit proposal put up by Prime Minister Theresa May's administration. The deal was met with considerable resistance in the House of Commons and prompted some high-level resignations from May's cabinet. Chances of a deal being worked out for an orderly exit from the European Union are being viewed as iffy at best.

While Europe will live or die largely by its own restrictive and stifling internal policies, China and the United States should continue to roll right along, regardless of whether a deal is struck between the two countries. The next meeting between President Trump and china's president, Xi Jinping, is upcoming soon. The two leaders are reportedly planning to discuss trade as a side event at the next G20 meeting in Buenos Aires on November 30, but the two largest national economies in the world aren't about to be sidetracked by tariffs. China's growth is already slowing, but they have broad international initiatives beyond the United States. Ditto for the US, as President Trump extricates the country from one-sided trade deals that were the result of globalization efforts from previous administrations.

Putting the week into perspective, US equity markets are still generally myopic, ignorant of issues elsewhere in the world, though that may be changing. Many US companies are dynamic and have global footprints, so that, if other parts of the planet are suffering, the US, while somewhat insulated, is not completely immune. US expansion has been long, though not deep, but the housing market has peaked and is slowing and unemployment cannot stay at its current sweet spot indefinitely. Tech appears the weakest link presently, though its weakness is not pronounced. Stocks continue to vacillate, but are closer to recent lows than highs.

Recent trends have seen selling into rallies and quick rises off obvious inflection points. Even with what are still somewhat easy credit conditions and stock buybacks at elevated levels, stocks are failing to reach higher, the condition looking more like exhaustion rather than capitulation. Such a condition may take more than a few weeks or months to resolve. In the meantime, traders aren't seriously committed to positions.

Sentiment remains neutral with a slight downside bias.

Dow Jones Industrial Average November Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
11/1/18	25,380.74	+264.98	+264.98
11/2/18	25,270.83	-109.91	+155.07
11/5/18	25,461.70	+190.87	+345.94
11/6/18	25,635.01	+173.31	+519.25
11/7/18	26,180.30	+545.29	+1064.54
11/8/18	26,191.22	+10.92	+1075.46
11/9/18	25,989.30	-201.92	+873.54
11/12/18	25,387.18	-602.12	+271.42
11/13/18	25,286.49	-100.69	+170.27
11/14/18	25,080.50	-205.99	-35.72
11/15/18	25,289.27	+208.77	+173.05
11/16/18	25,413.22	+123.95	+297.00

At the Close, Friday, November 16, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 25,413.22, +123.95 (+0.49%)
NASDAQ: 7,247.87, -11.16 (-0.15%)
S&P 500: 2,736.27, +6.07 (+0.22%)
NYSE Composite: 12,400.28, +38.76 (+0.31%)

For the Week:
Dow: -576.08 (-2.22%)
NASDAQ: -159.03 (-2.15%)
S&P 500: -44.74 (-1.61%)
NYSE Composite: -137.25 (-1.09%)

Stocks Enter Fourth Quarter With A Bang, NASDAQ Fades To Red, Oil Rallies

At the open, on the first day of trading in the fourth quarter, stocks powered ahead, posting massive gains on the back of President Trump's successful renegotiation of the NAFTA treaty with Mexico and Canada.

It was a giddy start to October, generally a month with plenty of volatility, due partially to funds which tend to close out their books prior to November, short and long term rules of capital gains taxation, and sometimes explosive conditions in the political realm prior to November elections.

On the trade Monday, the divergence pattern which has persisted for more than a year now, appeared again, as the NASDAQ sold off while the Dow and S&P held onto gains. This divergence of mainstream vs. largely tech stocks has been confounding to index and passive investors, as the old world and new have often traded in opposite directions. The solution has been to own some of both sides, with Dow and dividend-paying stocks on one side and speculative, tech stocks on the other.

In such a case, Monday's moves were a win for the old school, as the Dow powered ahead while the NASDAQ soured during the day. Over the long term, the two varieties of stocks have moved up in tandem, producing quality gains this year.

While stocks were hot and bonds stable, the big move of the day was in the oil field, with WTI crude futures up sharply, above 75.50 into the close. The higher price is possibly a reflection of easing of concerns over trade wars, with the new North American agreement at the forefront. In addition, coming sanctions on Iran - which begin on November 4 - are expected to crimp supply. Crude prices are currently trending at four-year highs. If the condition persists, high prices at the pump for consumers could hurt holiday sales, with the big shopping season less than two months ahead.

Dow Jones Industrial Average October Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
10/1/18	26,651.21	+192.90	+192.90

At the Close, Monday, October 1, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 26,651.21, +192.90 (+0.73%)
NASDAQ: 8,037.30, -9.05 (-0.11%)
S&P 500: 2,924.59, +10.61 (+0.36%)
NYSE Composite: 13,125.35, +42.83 (+0.33%)

Which Way Is Up? Markets Careen As Trump Makes Deal With EU, Facebook Falls From Grace

It's too early to call it a trend, but the Dow broke out of the trading range in which it had been ensconced for over four months after President Trump met with European Commission president Claude Junker and announced a breakthrough on trade and tariff negotiations between the European Union and the United States, forestalling what many feared would become a trade war.

The Dow, which had been lumbering below the unchanged line most of the session, broke above it shortly after 3:00 pm EDT, and then rocketed higher, gaining over 150 points in the final half hour of trading.

The other indices responded in similar manner, though after hours, Facebook (FB) took a severe lashing, losing 24% at one point, after its second quarter earnings failed to meet expectations. Facebook's fall sent NASDAQ futures into a 1.5% nosedive, though they're recovering prior to Thursday's opening bell.

What is most important to note about these developments is the movement in the Dow. According to Dow Theory, the index entered bear market conditions on April 9, when the Dow Jones Transportation Index confirmed the Industrial Average's February-March double-dip off January highs. Besides the reliability of Dow Theory in gauging market movement and primary trends, stocks have not readily behaved as they would in an ordinary bear market, with both the NASDAQ and S&P recovering to make all-time highs, the most recent, just Wednesday, as the NASDAQ set a new, high-water mark at the close.

The current episode of market mania is being driven by forces both unforeseen and unseen, most of it emanating from Washington, D.C., where, on one hand, President Trump's audacious approach to governance and world politics has thus far returned positive results, including Wednesday's breakthrough with the EC.

Thus, the number that bears watching continues to be the January 23 all-time closing high on the Dow of 26,616.71. While the index has broken above what was considerable resistance, it still has a wall of worry - and about 1200 points - to climb before the existence of bearish conditions can be eliminated.

On the other side of the coin, Facebook's woes may only be the beginning for the tech sector, the NASDAQ and the market as a whole. Next up on the chopping block appears to be Tesla (TSLA), whose CEO, Elon Musk, has been raising concerns about the company as a whole by his strange and possibly bi-polar behavior. Tesla is under considerable pressure to produce positive results after months of scrutiny over its cars exploding, production questions, quality concerns and the general mental well-being of its founder and CEO.

Tech stocks have largely been the driver behind the rise of the NASDAQ, whereas President Trump has been generally holding down the Dow. Now those two elements appear to be working in reverse, and the result could be a shock to both the upside on the Dow and the downside on the NASDAQ.

It's hard to imagine the two indices diverging for very long, but the future is unknowable. With Trump "winning" on many fronts, he still faces a massive horde of opposition in Washington, not only from Democrats and the so-called "deep state," but from members of his own party as well.

Add the Fed's unwinding of its balance sheet and relentless quarter-by-quarter raising of interest rates and you have an imperfect storm through which stock and bond speculators and investors must navigate.

Rough seas ahead, for certain, but in which direction? With so much on the deck and cross-currents blowing in every direction, trading should become volatile and choppy until November, when the midterm elections will likely determine the ultimate direction of not just the stock market but of the US and global economy as well.

Dow Jones Industrial Average July Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
7/2/18	24,307.18	+35.77	+35.77
7/3/18	24,174.82	-132.36	-96.59
7/5/18	24,345.44	+181.92	+85.33
7/6/18	24,456.48	+99.74	+185.07
7/9/18	24,776.59	+320.11	+505.18
7/10/18	24,919.66	+143.07	+648.25
7/11/18	24,700.45	-219.21	+429.04
7/12/18	24,924.89	+224.44	+653.48
7/13/18	25,019.41	+94.52	+748.00
7/16/18	25,064.36	+44.95	+792.95
7/17/18	25,119.89	+55.53	+848.48
7/18/18	25,199.29	+79.40	+927.88
7/19/18	25,064.50	-134.79	+793.09
7/20/18	25,058.12	-6.38	+786.71
7/23/18	25,044.29	-13.83	+772.88
7/24/18	25,241.94	+197.65	+970.53
7/25/18	25,414.10	+172.16	+1142.69

At the Close, Wednesday, July 25, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 25,414.10, +172.16 (+0.68%)
NASDAQ: 7,932.24, +91.47 (+1.17%)
S&P 500: 2,846.07, +25.67 (+0.91%)
NYSE Composite: 12,933.63, +86.14 (+0.67%)

Stubborn Dow Remains Range-Bound; NASDAQ Dips

Since March 9, the Dow has traded in a fairly tight range - considering the time elapsed (nearly six months) - of just more than 1400 points, or less than six percent of total market value.

Recently, it has been trading near the upper end of this range, but has repeatedly failed to surpass the previous interim high and is still another 1400-1500 points away from January's all-time high of 26,616.71.

The range, 23,924.98 - 25,335.74, has been wide enough to offer hope to both bulls and bears, though neither a breakout nor a breakdown has occurred, with much of the betting money on the latter. Current and prior sentiment sees a second half slowdown, with the Trump tax cuts already measured in, inflation becoming more of an issue, and the tariff tug-fo-war on the world stage only in the early stages.

Thus, seasoned investors are wary of sudden impulse moves such as today's and also have an eye toward the political spectrum, midterm elections and what now appears to be a runaway federal budget-busting deficit for the current fiscal year. These are the factors contributing to the skeptical view, while the more subdued bull case rests largely on the employment picture. Americans are well-employed at present, even though labor force participation remains near record lows.

Inside the demographics of the United States, there exists a virtuous cycle, in which retiring baby boomers give up jobs to millennials and Generation Xers, while spending their retirement incomes without a care. There's plenty of money to go around, though, with a country as large and diverse as the US, it's difficult to pigeonhole any particular stocks that should benefit the greatest.

Consumer staples are and have been the safest bets along with energy, tech, and basic materials, but the gains have been paltry outside the smoking tech sector. A diversified portfolio is probably the best insurance against a market rout, but being in the right stocks can prove tricky, if not altogether impossible to attain anything better than the average index fund.

On the day, the Dow and NASDAQ diverged, a sign that everything is not in sync, and that issues remain unresolved, though that is a normal case and not anything about which to be overly pessimistic.

With crosswinds at the crossroads of prosperity and desperation, there's more than ample rationale for either argument.

This remains a sit-tight-and-hold-cash condition.

Dow Jones Industrial Average July Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
7/2/18	24,307.18	+35.77	+35.77
7/3/18	24,174.82	-132.36	-96.59
7/5/18	24,345.44	+181.92	+85.33
7/6/18	24,456.48	+99.74	+185.07
7/9/18	24,776.59	+320.11	+505.18
7/10/18	24,919.66	+143.07	+648.25
7/11/18	24,700.45	-219.21	+429.04
7/12/18	24,924.89	+224.44	+653.48
7/13/18	25,019.41	+94.52	+748.00
7/16/18	25,064.36	+44.95	+792.95
7/17/18	25,119.89	+55.53	+848.48
7/18/18	25,199.29	+79.40	+927.88
7/19/18	25,064.50	-134.79	+793.09
7/20/18	25,058.12	-6.38	+786.71
7/23/18	25,044.29	-13.83	+772.88
7/24/18	25,241.94	+197.65	+970.53

At the Close, Tuesday, July 24, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 25,241.94, +197.65 (+0.79%)
NASDAQ: 7,840.77, -1.10 (-0.01%)
S&P 500: 2,820.40, +13.42 (+0.48%)
NYSE Composite: 12,847.49, +53.44 (+0.42%)

Stocks Clobbered As US-China Trade War Heats Up

Today's tired showing by stocks, globally, demonstrated just how fragile the world's economic system is and how easily the best laid investment plans can go awry.

After President Trump announced plans for $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports and the Chinese countered with $50 billion of their own on US goods, Trump upped the ante by calling on his main trade representative to prepare another $200 billion in Chinese goods to be tariffed, should the Chinese actually go through with their retaliation.

As usual, the Dow Jones Industrial Average took the brunt of the day's carnage, shedding more than one percent, while the NASDAQ and S&P showed smaller percentage losses. The decline was the sixth straight for the mighty Dow, which has been under pressure since February of this year and is now even for the year (-19 points).

The other averages have fared better, but 2018 is not shaping up to be a year of excessive profit for equity investors.

Amid the chaos, bond yields continued to fall. The rush to safety is accelerating as the yield curve flattened even more through the day. The spread on the 2s-10s is now just 35 basis points, 5s-30s held steady at 25, 2s-30s are at 48, down one more basis point, the tightening spread making it more and more difficult for financial institutions to generate alpha, or profit, but the herd is heading in one direction and it's toward a recession.

As far as President Trump's intentions are concerned, "the Donald" is perfectly aware of what he's doing. By imposing steep tariffs on foreign goods he will bring most of the planet to its knees and likely cause a recession, though the timing couldn't be more perfect in political terms.

If a recession occurs within the next six to nine months, it would likely be over well before the next presidential race heats up in 2020. Figuring on a recession beginning in January or February of 2019 and running the average of 16 months, the economy would be on the upswing by July or August 2020, giving the president plenty of time to explain how some pain was necessary to restore vibrancy and a level playing field to the US economy.

It's not balderdash. It's the art of the deal.

And thus, with today's losses, more than two thirds of the gains made earlier in the month have been eviscerated.

It's only money.

Dow Jones Industrial Average June Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
6/1/18	24,635.21	+219.37	+219.37
6/4/18	24,813.69	+178.48	+397.85
6/5/18	24,799.98	-13.71	+384.14
6/6/18	25,146.39	+346.41	+730.55
6/7/18	25,241.41	+95.02	+825.57
6/8/18	25,316.53	+75.12	+900.69
6/11/18	25,322.31	+5.78	+906.47
6/12/18	25,320.73	-1.58	+904.89
6/13/18	25,201.20	-119.53	+785.36
6/14/18	25,175.31	-25.89	+759.47
6/15/18	25,090.48	-84.83	+674.64
6/18/18	24,987.47	-103.01	+571.63
6/19/18	24,700.21	-287.26	+284.37

At the Close, Tuesday, June 19, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 24,700.21, -287.26 (-1.15%)
NASDAQ: 7,725.58, -21.44 (-0.28%)
S&P 500: 2,762.57, -11.18 (-0.40%)
NYSE Composite: 12,637.23, -71.40 (-0.56%)

So, Now There's No Trade War?

Last week, all the financial media pundits could talk about was how President Trump was going to destroy the economy with his ill-advised tariffs, specifically targeting China, that great purveyor of cheap products that alternatively poison animals, emit toxic gasses, or break upon normal use (see Chinese nails, drill bits, concrete).

Well, over the weekend, the narrative somehow changed. Everything with China is "all good, nothing to see here, move along." And that's exactly what the slavish traders on Wall Street went about doing on Monday, sending the major indices soaring in one of the greatest one-day advances of all time.

The improvement on the NASDAQ was the ninth-largest ever. Interestingly, the eight advances bettering that number all occurred in the year 2000, except number one, which was a gain of 324.83 points in January of 2001. All of those gains were made in a bear market, after the NASDAQ dotcom bubble had burst.

On the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the 669.40 point gain was the largest since 2008, notably a period in which the economy was entering the Great Financial Crisis. Monday's advance was the third-best in market history.

The timing of news in relation to the market is becoming somewhat suspect, almost as if somebody was gaming the system. A similar move was just over a month ago, on February 6th, when the Dow gained 567.02 points a day after it fell a record 1,175.21 points (a Monday) and two days before it fell by the second-most ever, 1,032.89 (Thursday).

Putting a little more perspective on the matter, the Dow remains down 826 points in the month of March and is still 2400 points lower than the all-time high close on January 26 (26,616.71) and in the red for the year, albeit only 500 points down.

Therefore, Monday's gains should not be viewed in a vacuum. No single day should. It pays to have perspective, especially since Dow Theory confirmed a major trend reversal - from bull to bear - as of Friday's close (23,533.20), which was lower than the February 8 finish at 23,860.46.

Chasing this bull will eventually lead directly into the path of a very hungry bear.

Dow Jones Industrial Average March Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
3/1/18	24,608.98	-420.22	-420.22
3/2/18	24,538.06	-70.92	-491.14
3/5/18	24,874.76	+336.70	-154.44
3/6/18	24,884.12	+9.36	-145.08
3/7/18	24,801.36	-82.76	-227.84
3/8/18	24,895.21	+93.85	-133.99
3/9/18	25,335.74	+440.53	+306.54
3/12/18	25,178.61	-157.13	+149.41
3/13/18	25,007.03,	-171.58	-22.17
3/14/18	24,758.12	-248.91	-271.08
3/15/18	24,873.66	+115.54	-155.54
3/16/18	24,946.51	+72.85	-82.69
3/19/18	24,610.91	-335.60	-418.29
3/20/18	24,727.27	+116.36	-301.93
3/21/18	24,682.31	-44.96	-346.89
3/22/18	23,957.89	-724.42	-1071.31
3/23/18	23,533.20	-424.69	-1496.00
3/26/18	24,202.60	+669.40	-826.60

At the Close, Monday, March 26, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 24,202.60, +669.40 (+2.84%)
NASDAQ: 7,220.54, +227.88 (+3.26%)
S&P 500: 2,658.55, +70.29 (+2.72%)
NYSE Composite: 12,433.15, +255.45 (+2.10%)

Dow Sheds For Third Strat Day; Last Week's Gains In Jeopardy

Trade wars. Inflation. Rate hikes. Housing prices. Wealth inequality.

Take your pick. These are but a few of the issues vexing investors as the Dow Jones Industrials recorded triple digit losses for the third straight session, wiping out the gains from the previous Friday and threatening to eviscerate all of the upside from a momentous prior week.

Anybody keeping score (and if you have a pension plan, college fund, or any other kind of tangential reach into the world of equities, you should be) has to be at least a little bit alarmed at the inability of stocks to regain their momentum. After a wildly positive January, February was fraught with panic and pain. Now March is beginning to shape up into a further continuation of the slippery slope upon which stocks are currently sliding downward.

Over the previous week, the Dow had ramped up nearly 800 points, but, as of the current mid-week, the blue chips are down nearly 600 points. Another day like Wednesday would not only eclipse the gains of last week, but it would also signal to chart-watchers a breach of the prior interim low, 24,538.06, achieved March 2nd.

A drop below that level would be an almost certain sign that the index - and stocks in general - are in for another round of relentless selling pressure. What matters little is the suspected cause. What matters most is the evaporation of profits and gains and the spread of fear in the accumulation of wealth.

It would not be the first time that investors had been hoodwinked by snake oil salesmen promoting a path to easy street via investments in minuscule percentage ownership of gigantic corporations. In all likelihood, it would not be the last.

As has been stated in prior posts here at Money Daily, the market is moving not only on money flows and fundamentals, but on political considerations, whether they be real or imagined.

There is very real danger at this juncture and investors would be wise to hold cash and/or take profits.

Dow Jones Industrial Average March Scorecard:

Date	Close	Gain/Loss	Cum. G/L
3/1/18	24,608.98	-420.22	-420.22
3/2/18	24,538.06	-70.92	-491.14
3/5/18	24,874.76	+336.70	-154.44
3/6/18	24,884.12	+9.36	-145.08
3/7/18	24,801.36	-82.76	-227.84
3/8/18	24,895.21	+93.85	-133.99
3/9/18	25,335.74	+440.53	+306.54
3/12/18	25,178.61	-157.13	+149.41
3/13/18	25,007.03	-171.58	-22.17
3/14/18	24,758.12	-248.91	-271.08

At the Close, Wednesday, March 14, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 24,758.12, -248.91 (-1.00%)
NASDAQ: 7,496.81, -14.20 (-0.19%)
S&P 500: 2,749.48, -15.83 (-0.57%)
NYSE Composite: 12,762.67, -69.08 (-0.54%)