Stock Market Activity Summary (Jan 22nd - Jan 27th, 2024):
Overall: The market ended the week mixed, with major indexes posting slight changes. Despite concerns about economic slowdown and upcoming Fed meeting, positive earnings reports and optimism about a "soft landing" scenario fueled gains in some sectors.
- S&P 500 (SPX): Flat closing (4,868.55), marking the 12th out of 13 weekly rises.
- Russell 2000 (RUT): Down 0.36% (2,105.22), continuing its lag behind larger indexes.
Sector Performance:
- Technology: Mixed performance, with some tech giants like Apple and Alphabet rising, while others like Netflix fell.
- Healthcare: Strong gains thanks to positive earnings reports.
- Financials: Modest gains amid continued uncertainty about interest rates.
- Energy: Upward trend due to rising oil prices.
Major Market Moving News:
- Positive Q4 GDP report: Higher-than-expected growth (3.3%) boosted optimism about economic resilience.
- Strong corporate earnings: Companies like Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, and Microsoft delivered better-than-anticipated results.
- No "Fedspeak": Absence of comments from Federal Reserve officials left investors focused on earnings and economic data.
Upcoming Market Movers (Week of Jan 29th - Feb 3rd, 2024):
Announcements:
- Federal Reserve Open Market Committee Meeting (Jan 31st - Feb 1st): The much-anticipated event where the Fed is expected to announce its latest decision on interest rates. While a rate hike is widely anticipated, the magnitude and future policy forecasts will be closely watched.
- Non-farm payroll data (Feb 2nd): This key employment report could influence market sentiment regarding the strength of the labor market and potential implications for the Fed's policy decisions.
Major Company Earnings:
- Tesla (TSLA): Feb 8th
- Meta Platforms (META): Feb 1st
- Amazon (AMZN): Feb 2nd
- Alphabet (GOOGL): Feb 1st
- Microsoft (MSFT): Jan 31st
Other potential catalysts: Geopolitical developments, economic data releases, and corporate news.
Note: This is a non-exhaustive list, and unforeseen events could also impact the market.