The Week on Wall Street
Stock prices bounced around last week as investors reacted to wild swings in the price of oil and reports that called into question the efficacy of two potential virus treatments.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 1.93%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 lost 1.32%. The Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 0.18%. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, declined 1.21%.[1],[2],[3]
Oil Wavers, Promising Virus Treatments Disappoint
Stocks opened the new week lower on the heels of a plunge in oil prices that saw the May oil futures contract fall into negative territory. While negative prices were largely reflective of technical issues associated with trading the contracts rather than the actual price of oil, the unprecedented move unsettled investors.
Stocks found some positive momentum as the week wore on, buoyed by corporate earnings reports that showed solid performance amid a challenging environment.
On two separate days, however, solid moves to the upside were derailed by disappointing news on promising COVID-19 treatments. One drug failed to produce positive results in its first trial, followed the next day by an FDA warning against taking chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. Stocks managed to rally and trim the week’s losses during the market’s final hours on Friday.
The Economic Reopening Begins
States across the nation, including Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Texas, have begun the process of slowly reopening commerce, while Montana’s governor announced the first phase of restarting its economy.[4],[5]
Each state is taking a different approach, potentially serving as a laboratory to help guide other states in their efforts to reopen businesses. From the market’s perspective, these early steps are not only hopeful signs that the journey to normalization may have begun, but they may provide important clues to how quickly business activity can rebound and the degree to which individuals resume social engagement – two important metrics that may influence the market in the weeks ahead.
THIS WEEK: KEY ECONOMIC DATA
Wednesday: Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Meeting Announcement.
Thursday: Jobless Claims.
Friday: Purchasing Managers Index (PMI): Manufacturing Index. Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Index.
Source: Econoday, April 24, 2020
The Econoday economic calendar lists upcoming U.S. economic data releases (including key economic indicators), Federal Reserve policy meetings, and speaking engagements of Federal Reserve officials. The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The forecasts or forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and may not materialize. The forecasts also are subject to revision.
THIS WEEK: COMPANIES REPORTING EARNINGS
Tuesday: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Ford Motor Company (F), Pfizer (PFE), Caterpillar (CAT), Starbucks (SBUX), Merck & Co. (MRK), United Parcel Service (UPS), D.R. Horton (DHI)
Wednesday: Microsoft (MSFT), Facebook (FB), Boeing (BA), Tesla (TSLA), Qualcomm (QCOM)
Thursday: Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Visa (V), McDonald’s (MCD), Gilead Sciences (GILD)
Friday: Exxon Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), Clorox (CLX), Abbvie (ABBV)
Source: Zacks, April 24, 2020
Companies mentioned are for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of the securities. Any investment should be consistent with your objectives, time frame and risk tolerance. The return and principal value of investments will fluctuate as market conditions change. When sold, investments may be worth more or less than their original cost. Companies may reschedule when they report earnings without notice.
Selling Your Home?
If you’re putting your home on the market, you may be able to manage taxes on some of your capital gains. Read on to see what the IRS regulations say.
If you show a capital gain on the sale of your home, you may be able to exclude all or a portion of the gain from your taxes if you have owned and used it as your primary residence for at least two out of the past five years.
Assuming you meet the criterion stated above, you may exclude up to $250,000 from your taxes if you’re a single filer (or up to $500,000 if you’re filing jointly). This exclusion may be used no more than once every two years. (Please note that the Net Investment Income Tax will not apply to the excluded gain.)
Keep in mind that this tip is for informational purposes only. Be sure to consult your tax or accounting professional for more information about the possible tax treatments when selling a home.
Please be aware that if you claimed the first-time homebuyer credit when purchasing your home, special rules may apply to the sale. If you’d like to read more about tax rules when selling a home, you can check out Form 523 on IRS.gov.
* This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax professional.
Tip adapted from IRS.gov[7]
Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.
Diversification does not guarantee profit nor is it guaranteed to protect assets.
International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. The DJIA was invented by Charles Dow back in 1896.
The Nasdaq Composite is an index of the common stocks and similar securities listed on the NASDAQ stock market and is considered a broad indicator of the performance of stocks of technology companies and growth companies.
The MSCI EAFE Index was created by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) that serves as a benchmark of the performance in major international equity markets as represented by 21 major MSCI indices from Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.
Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
You cannot invest directly in an index.
Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
Fixed income investments are subject to various risks including changes in interest rates, credit quality, inflation risk, market valuations, prepayments, corporate events, tax ramifications and other factors.
These are the views of Platinum Advisor Strategies, LLC, and not necessarily those of the named representative,
Broker dealer or Investment Advisor and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named representative nor the named Broker dealer or Investment Advisor gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your financial professional for further information.
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[1] The Wall Street Journal, April 24, 2020. The market indexes discussed are unmanaged and generally considered representative of their respective markets. Individuals cannot directly invest in unmanaged indexes. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The return and principal value of investments will fluctuate as market conditions change. When sold, investments may be worth more or less than their original cost.
[2] The Wall Street Journal, April 24, 2020. The market indexes discussed are unmanaged and generally considered representative of their respective markets. Individuals cannot directly invest in unmanaged indexes. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The return and principal value of investments will fluctuate as market conditions change. When sold, investments may be worth more or less than their original cost.
[3] The Wall Street Journal, April 24, 2020
[4] US News & World Report, April 21, 2020
[5] US News & World Report, April 22, 2020
[7] IRS.gov, February 6, 2020
