THE WEEK ON WALL STREET
Stocks moved to the rhythm of earnings season last week, initially rising on positive earnings surprises and faltering later in the week on key earnings disappointments.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.08%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 added 0.69%. The Nasdaq Composite Index slumped 0.57% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, slipped 0.32%.1,2,3
EARNINGS IN FOCUS
Entering its first big week of the second quarter earnings season, solid reports from the nation’s big banks rewarded investor optimism, sparking a rally that continued into mid-week. An announcement by a mega-cap tech company of a new AI subscription plan, and stabilizing deposits at several regional banks, further fed investor enthusiasm.
Disappointing earnings from two big-tech names dragged market indices lower on Thursday, with the largest losses in the Nasdaq composite. Despite the reversal, 20 stocks in the S&P 500 touched 52-week highs on Thursday, with 11 reaching all-time highs.4
Stocks closed flat to end an otherwise mixed week.
1. The Wall Street Journal, July 21, 2023.
2. The Wall Street Journal, July 21, 2023.
3. The Wall Street Journal, July 21, 2023.