Hammered lower on Friday, stocks across the spectrum finished out the week holding relatively minor gains with the Dow Scoreboard showing a 350-point advance for the month.
On a percentage basis, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJIA) was the weakest performer of the major indices with a gain of just 0.42%. After winning moves on Monday and Tuesday, stocks traded to the downside the final three days of the week as solid earnings failed to allay fears that the nine-year-old bull market had topped out in January and that any gains at this juncture might be wiped away in another cascade to the negative.
Ever-hopeful investors were still buyers, though volumes have diminished over the past few weeks as some seek the safety of bonds or more defensive positions in stocks.
A three-day losing streak to close out the week does not auger well heading into the final full week of trading on US markets. With February and March both ending in tears for the bulls, Monday's trading will likely set the tone for the remainder of the week and the month. If April's early strength continues to fade, the sight of three consecutive losing months for equity investors could turn the mostly orderly selling into more panicked disposal of assets.
While it would be folly to predict even one days' movement, the general direction may have already been established. With a downward tilt and the majors clinging to the 50-day moving average across the spectrum, it may be easier to call the market direction for the next three to six months. In conditions such as those present and the markets entering what are traditionally slow months, betting on sideways to lower could prove to be the prescient strategy.
After April, earnings flow will diminish from a steady stream to a trickle, with most of the important companies (banks, techs) having already reported, leaving a void and a downside bottom that will almost surely be tested within the next 30-60 days. June's FOMC meeting also looms largely, like a debt shadow overhanging already overpriced stocks. With the Fed determined to raise interest rates again, the threat of higher borrowing costs choking off the nascent growth theme is becoming more and more real.
Elsewhere, treasury bonds were on the move again, with yields on the 10-year-note approaching three percent by week's end. Also getting considerable notice is the commodity complex, led by oil, as prices for WTI crude reaching three-year highs, taking precious and base metals along for the ride to the upside. So important is the price of oil and gas that the president tweeted about it on Friday morning, putting a temporary cap on gains with his fiery comments.
As President Trump and others in the financial community know all too well, higher gas prices act as a tax on the American consumer and could do significant harm to the economy since nearly 70% of GDP is based on consumer spending. If the bulk of the money from the tax cuts recently passed go directly into gas tanks due to higher prices, there's little left to spend on other things, and that's also a real concern.
The week ahead should focus on oil and commodities. Any further upside to the price of crude oil could be seen as very damaging, though bulls in the precious metals arena are champing at the bit for an overdue breakout from the recent dismal price range.
All things considered, stocks seem somewhat imperiled by potentially better opportunities elsewhere and the continuing debate over whether the bull market has topped. The longer the Dow shies from the January 26 highs (26,616.17) the more compelling the case becomes for those calling this the beginning of a painfully episodic bear market.
Dow Jones Industrial Average April Scorecard:
| Date | Close | Gain/Loss | Cum. G/L |
| 4/2/18 | 23,644.19 | -458.92 | -458.92 |
| 4/3/18 | 24,033.36 | +389.17 | -69.75 |
| 4/4/18 | 24,264.30 | +230.94 | +161.19 |
| 4/5/18 | 24,505.22 | +240.92 | +402.11 |
| 4/6/18 | 23,932.76 | -572.46 | -170.35 |
| 4/9/18 | 23,979.10 | +46.34 | -134.01 |
| 4/10/18 | 24,407.86 | +428.76 | +294.66 |
| 4/11/18 | 24,189.45 | -218.55 | +76.11 |
| 4/12/18 | 24,483.05 | +293.60 | +369.71 |
| 4/13/18 | 24,360.14 | -122.91 | +247.80 |
| 4/16/18 | 24,573.04 | +212.90 | +460.70 |
| 4/17/18 | 24,786.63 | +213.59 | +674.29 |
| 4/18/18 | 24,748.07 | -38.56 | +635.73 |
| 4/19/18 | 24,664.89 | -83.18 | +552.55 |
| 4/20/18 | 24,462.94 | -201.95 | +350.60 |
At the Close, Friday, April 20, 2018:
Dow Jones Industrial Average, 24,462.94, -201.95 (-0.82%)
NASDAQ: 7,146.13, -91.93 (-1.27%)
S&P 500: 2,670.14, -22.99 (-0.85%)
NYSE Composite: 12,607.16, -64.32 (-0.51%)
For the Week:
Dow: +102.80 (+0.42%)
NASDAQ: +39.48 (+0.56%)
S&P 500: +13.84 (0.52%)
NYSE Composite: +61.11 (+0.49%)
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