Weekly Review 15-04-18

US

S&P500 +1.99%(2,656.30); NASDAQ +2.77% (7,106.65); DJIA +1.79% (24,360.14)

This week’s reports:

March’s CPI rose 2.4% y/y versus February’s 2.2% y/y. Core CPI rose 2.1% y/y versus February’s 1.8% y/y.
April’s Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (prelim.) fell to 97.8 from March’s 101.4.
February’s Wholesale Inventories rose 1.0% from January’s +1.1%.
Initial Jobless Claims for the week ending April 6^th fell by 9K to 233K. Continuing Jobless Claims for the week ending March 30^th rose by 53K to 1,871K.

US stocks fell at the end of the week, paring some of their earlier gains, as weakness in shares of banks and finance firms added to the political and trade tensions weighing on the market. JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said that “the environment is intensely competitive and lending was flat for the quarter”. The market’s focus also was on military activity in Syria and trade tensions between the US and China.
Earlier in the week, shares rose as investors took advantage of cheaper valuations. The earnings expansion remains on track and economic data has suggested worries over inflation was overblown. At 17 times forecast profit, the S&P 500 traded at the lowest multiple in two years.