LCG Associates, Inc.’s Post

Stocks have enjoyed a period of relatively uninterrupted growth in the first half of 2024, but their path higher may not be as smooth in the months ahead. Here's our midyear review and outlook for the second half of the year.

Stocks soared on Tuesday, after an inflation reading raised hopes that the Federal Reserve’s campaign to slow inflation may have reached its limits. U.S. headline consumer prices were flat in October, against expectations for a 0.1% rise. Core CPI, at 0.2%, below a forecast of 0.3%, slowed to 3.2% last month on a year-over-year basis, compared to 3.3% forecasted and lower than the 3.7% reading in September and the coolest since July. 📈The S&P 500 rose 1.9% on Tuesday, Morgan Stanley said on Monday it expects the S&P 500 (.SPX) to end 2024 at 4,500, and predicted earnings recovery through the year. This represents a 2% upside from current levels. .VIX.US, also known as the "fear gauge," has fallen significantly from its October highs and has recently declined for eight consecutive sessions. 🛫 Could this mean the bull rally has begun?

Weekly Market Update: U.S. stocks recorded their seventh consecutive week of gains, the longest streak for the S&P 500 since 2017. The S&P 500 Index moved up 2.5% on a total return basis. The consumer price index rose 3.1% from a year earlier, down slightly from 3.2% last month. Core consumer prices rose 4.0% from a year earlier, unchanged from last month. Producer prices surprised on the downside, with core producer prices rising 2.0% for the year, their lowest level since January 2021. The FOMC elected to maintain rates at their current level of 5.25-5.50% during its December meeting. Long-term U.S. Treasury yields fell sharply on the inflation data and Fed signals, bringing the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note below 4% for the first time since July. The ten-year treasury yield moved down to 3.91% from 4.23% the week before, while the two-year yield moved down to 4.44% from 4.71% the week before. https://lnkd.in/dn_22Uh

Weekly Market Update: U.S. stocks rose over the week on dovish signals from the Fed. The S&P 500 Index moved up 2.3% on a total return basis. ·The FOMC elected to maintain rates at their current level of 5.25-5.50% during its March meeting. The Fed’s “dot plot” showed that the median expectation for three rate cuts in 2024 remained unchanged, while the median expectations for interest rates in 2025 and 2026 went up by less than 25 basis points. Existing home sales jumped 9.5% in February, surprising on the upside. Sales declined 3.3% from the previous year. Longer-term Treasury yields moved lower over the week. The ten-year yield lowered to 4.22% from 4.31% the week before, while the two-year yield lowered to 4.59% from 4.72% the week before. https://lnkd.in/dn_22Uh

Stocks: The S&P 500 rallied Friday to notch a new all-time-high close for the index, surpassing its previous record set in January 2022. Anybody invested in stocks now and over age 65 should consider investing in stocks with downside protection while not giving up any liquidity. Consumer Sentiment: . The index climbed to a level of 78.8, up from 69.7 in December and 61.3 in November to mark the largest two-month gain since 1991 and the highest level since July 2021. I don't concern about a drop/recession or bear market until this reaches about 97. So we are good for now. Home Sales: For calendar year 2023, home sales slumped to 4.09 million, marking the lowest level since 1995. Compared to 2022, sales were 19% lower in 2023. After a red hot 2020-2021, this is healthy.

Stocks are poised to build on gains at the open. A drop in yields has acted as support. The 2-yr note yield is down four basis points to 4.42% and the 10-yr note yield is down six basis points to 3.90%. Read more in the Morning Brew.

Stocks are poised to build on gains at the open. A drop in yields has acted as support. The 2-yr note yield is down four basis points to 4.42% and the 10-yr note yield is down six basis points to 3.90%. Read more in the Morning Brew.

Stocks are poised to build on gains at the open. A drop in yields has acted as support. The 2-yr note yield is down four basis points to 4.42% and the 10-yr note yield is down six basis points to 3.90%. Read more in the Morning Brew.

Stocks are poised to build on gains at the open. A drop in yields has acted as support. The 2-yr note yield is down four basis points to 4.42% and the 10-yr note yield is down six basis points to 3.90%. Read more in the Morning Brew.

Stocks are poised to build on gains at the open. A drop in yields has acted as support. The 2-yr note yield is down four basis points to 4.42% and the 10-yr note yield is down six basis points to 3.90%. Read more in the Morning Brew.