Winthrop Partners Market and Economic Update 11-29-21

The Markets (as of market close November 26, 2021)
Thanksgiving week proved to be a tumultuous one for investors. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here ended the week in the red following news of a new COVID variant in South Africa. In response, several countries, including the United States, initiated travel bans and tightened border controls. Crude oil prices fell 13.5% in the week as the new coronavirus strain sparked fears that lockdowns would hurt global demand. The yield on 10-year Treasuries fell 10 basis points to close below 1.55% for the first time in several sessions.
A selloff in tech shares pulled the Nasdaq down 1.3% to open the week last Monday. The Russell 2000 fell 0.5%, the S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, and the Global Dow lost 0.1%. The Dow inched up 0.1%. Treasury yields advanced nearly 600 basis points to close at 1.62%. Crude oil prices increased 0.5% to $76.35 per barrel. The dollar rose, while gold prices slipped. The market sectors were mixed, with energy, financials, consumer staples, and utilities climbing higher, while communication services, information technology, consumer discretionary, real estate, and health care fell.
The Nasdaq (-0.5%) fell for the second consecutive day last Tuesday as tech stocks continued to tumble. Energy and financials led the market sectors, helping to push the S&P 500 up 0.2%. The Russell 2000 inched 0.2% lower, while the Dow (0.6%) and the Global Dow (0.2%) advanced. Ten-year Treasury yields rose, as bond prices fell. Crude oil prices increased ahead of a move by several countries, including the United States and China, to tap their strategic oil supplies. The dollar was mixed.
Gains in real estate and energy stocks helped drive the S&P 500 higher last Wednesday. The Nasdaq reversed course and led the benchmark indexes listed here, while the Global Dow and the Russell 2000 also posted gains. The Dow was unchanged on the day. Ten-year Treasury yields and crude oil prices dipped lower. The dollar advanced. Investors got mixed reports last Wednesday. The Federal Reserve released the minutes from its early November meeting and noted that it “would not hesitate to take appropriate actions to address inflation pressures.” Since that meeting, inflation has continued to rise, which could prompt the Fed to quicken the pace of tapering its bond purchasing program. On the other hand, consumer spending rose in October from a month earlier. But the biggest news was that the number of weekly claims for unemployment benefits dipped to its lowest level since 1969 (see below).
Stocks tumbled on Black Friday, the major shopping day after Thanksgiving, as investors reacted to news of another coronavirus variant identified in South Africa. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here fell by at least 2.0%, led by the Russell 2000 (- 3.7%), followed by the Global Dow (-2.7%), the Dow (-2.5%), the S&P 500 (-2.3%), and the Nasdaq (-2.2%). Crude oil prices suffered one of the largest single-day plunges, dropping 13.1% to close the day at $68.15 per barrel. Ten-year Treasury yields fell to 1.48%. The dollar dipped lower. The market fallout was widespread, with each of the market sectors closing in the red. Energy (-4.0%) and financials (-3.3%) fell the furthest. The national average retail price for regular gasoline was $3.395 per gallon on November 22, $0.004 per gallon less than the prior week’s price but $1.293 higher than a year ago. Gasoline production increased during the week ended November 19, averaging 10.1 million barrels per day. U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 15.6 million barrels per day during the week ended November 19 — 243,000 barrels per day more than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 88.6% of their operable capacity, up from the prior week’s level of 87.9%. Click here for full article: Winthrop Partners Market and Economic Update 11-29-21