FINANCIAL STOCK MARKET  WEEK Market Week: February 3, 2025

"The Global Dow ended the week with gains,"  by Wendy Nelson 

Market Week: February 3, 2025

The Markets (as of market close January 31, 2025)

Stocks trended higher for much of last week until Friday, when a Friday slide pulled several of the benchmark indexes listed here lower.  Only the Dow and the Global Dow ended the week with gains, while the NASDAQ, the S&P 500, and the Russell 2000 finished in the red.  Last Friday, word that the president would enforce tariffs against Canada, China, and Mexico cooled investors' appetite for risk, sending bond yields and the dollar higher.  Crude oil prices ended the week on an uptick but not enough to prevent prices from closing last week lower.

Wall Street got off to a rough start last Monday as the tech sector took a dive, particularly several chip makers.  The NASDAQ fell 3.1%, while the S&P 500 (-1.5%) and the Russell 2000 (-1.1%) trended lower.  The Dow (0.7%) and the Global Dow (0.2%) closed higher.  Ten-year Treasury yields fell to 4.52% as investors shunned stocks for bonds.  Crude oil prices dipped to $73.05 per barrel.  The dollar and gold prices closed in the red.

Last Tuesday, tech shares rebounded from the prior day's downturn, leading stocks higher.  The NASDAQ led the benchmark indexes listed here, gaining 2.0% by the close of trading.  The S&P 500 climbed 0.9%, the Dow rose 0.3%, and the Russell 2000 added 0.2%.  The Global Dow fell 0.1%.  Ten-year Treasury yields closed at 4.55%.  Crude oil prices reversed a stretch of losses, gaining 1.1% to settle at $74.00 per barrel.  The dollar advanced 0.5%, while gold prices rose 1.2%.

Stocks trended lower last Wednesday after the Federal Reserve held interest rates unchanged, as expected.  The NASDAQ and the S&P 500 each fell 0.5%, the Dow lost 0.3%, and the Russell 2000 slipped 0.2%.  The Global Dow inched up 0.2%.  Investors turned their focus to an upcoming batch of key corporate earnings, while continuing to assess potential tariffs and other aspects of President Trump's economic policy.  Ten-year Treasury yields remained unchanged at 4.55%.  Crude oil prices slipped 1.2% to $72.92 per barrel.  The dollar and gold prices each ticked up 0.1%.

Last Thursday saw stocks close higher after a choppy day of trading.  The Russell 2000 (1.1%) and the Global Dow (0.7%) led the benchmark indexes listed here, followed by the S&P 500 (0.5%), the Dow (0.4%), and the NASDAQ (0.3%).  Ten-year Treasury yields dipped 4.3 basis points to 4.51%.  The dollar ticked up 0.1%, while gold prices rose 2.1%.  Crude oil prices gained 0.8% to settle at $73.17 per barrel.

Stocks gave up gains last Friday after news that President Trump was pushing ahead with tariffs against China, Canada, and Mexico.  The Russell 2000 lost 0.9%, followed by the Dow (-0.8%), the Global Dow (-0.6%), the S&P 500 (-0.5%), and the NASDAQ (-0.3%).  Yields on 10-year Treasuries gained 5.7 basis points to settle at 4.56%.  Crude oil prices climbed nearly 1.0%.  The dollar jumped 0.7%, while gold prices fell 0.4%.

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Wendy Nelson, CEO of Wind River Wealth Advisors, aims to provide beneficial investment management, retirement planning, financial planning, asset management, and portfolio management to protect your money with knowledgeable strategies and plans by utilizing a personal independent financial advisor.