Stocks ended last week higher - the Dow Jones rose 2%, the S&P 500 added 1.5% and the Nasdaq was up 0.8%. Although, towards the end of the week, some of the week's gains were given back as investors evaluated the latest jobs report, which was strong, sparking fears of continued interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. This week, more stock market volatility should be expected with investors awaiting the latest inflation information, which will be released on Thursday morning.
Economic reports from last week came back mostly positive: •Construction Spending - lower than expectation •Vehicle Sales - in-line with expectation •Job Openings - lower than expectation •Private Employment - higher than expectation •Total Employment - higher than expectation •Consumer Credit - higher than expectation •Jobless Claims - higher than expectation This week, investors will look for guidance from economic reports like Small Business Optimism, Retail Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Inflation and Jobless Claims.