May 1, 2020 The S&P 500 rallied 12.7% in April for its third biggest monthly gain since WWII. Growing optimism over the reopening of the U.S. economy, $5 trillion in combined fiscal and monetary stimulus programs, and encouraging news on COVID-19 treatments helped spur the month’s gains. These positive drivers have been enough to persuade…
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April 24, 2020 Oil prices drove markets lower this week as the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil benchmark hit a historic low. The May contract for WTI fell $55.90 on Monday to a history-making -$37.63 a barrel. The decline was driven by plunging demand for oil amid the global pandemic just as producers continued…
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April 17, 2020 Optimism for a flattening COVID-19 curve in the U.S. and high hopes for Gilead’s experimental drug treatment for COVID-19 pushed the S&P 500 to a 3.04% weekly gain. The move comes on the heals of last week’s 12.10% rise, the index’s best one-week performance since 1974. The positive developments sparked investor optimism…
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