Stocks had their worst week since December. Last week, the Dow Jones was down 0.17%, the S&P 500 lost 1.11% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.41%. Investors are working through mixed signals from interest rate hikes, economic data, corporate earnings and speeches from the Federal Reserve, which are creating a little bit of volatility in financial markets. What happens next in markets? There isn't much consensus or confidence just yet. Tomorrow morning, the latest inflation numbers will provide some more clarity.
Economic reports from last week came back mixed:
•Consumer Credit - lower than expectation
•Consumer Sentiment - higher than expectation
•Jobless Claims - higher than expectation
This week, investors will look for guidance from economic reports like Small Business Optimism, Manufacturing, Housing, Retail Sales and Jobless Claims.