A volatile but winning March has come to an end. For the month, the Dow Jones advanced 1.89%, the S&P 500 gained 3.51% and the Nasdaq increased by 6.69% - technology stocks were the big winner, up about 10%. Investors are hopeful that the banking crisis has been contained and that, with cooler-than-expected inflation data coming in, the Federal Reserve will slow down or stop interest rate increases.
Economic reports from last week came back mixed: •Manufacturing (Dallas) - lower than expectation •Manufacturing (Richmond) - higher than expectation •Single-Family Home Values - higher than expectation •Pending Home Sales - lower than expectation •Consumer Confidence - higher than expectation •Consumer Sentiment - lower than expectation •Jobless Claims - higher than expectation This week, investors will look for guidance from economic reports like Construction Spending, Vehicle Sales, Job Openings, Employment, Consumer Credit and Jobless Claims.