From the desks of Stanley Katz & Lauren Madera
CONSUME YOUR WEEKLY H&C WITH A WAFFLE IN HONOR OF NATIONAL WAFFLE DAY!
The three major U.S. stock market indices showed mixed results this week (i.e., DJIA: +1.53%, S&P 500: +0.27%, Nasdaq: -0.58%) as traditional blue chips outperformed their tech-heavy counterparts. Despite the blip in the Nasdaq, summertime returns across the board have been impressive. BlackRock’s latest “Student of the Market” report reveals that this was actually the fourth-best May-July period for U.S. stocks since 1950, with the S&P 500 delivering a solid 14.2% gain during those three months. Historical data suggests this summer strength often carries forward. In fact, eight of the top nine similar periods closed out the remainder of the year with positive returns. 2025 is not only a U.S. story though. International stocks have continued their leadership streak, delivering an impressive 17.8% year-to-date performance that has consistently outpaced domestic equities.
Technical indicators are painting an intriguing picture for market watchers trying to decode what comes next. Fidelity’s analysis focuses on MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence), a momentum indicator that tracks the relationship between two moving averages of a stock’s price to generate buy-and-sell signals. When MACD crosses above its signal line, it can suggest upward momentum. Crosses below indicate potential weakness. Currently, MACD appears to be signaling a “holding pattern” for the S&P 500, suggesting the index may be entering a phase of consolidation rather than dramatic moves in either direction. This technical setup often occurs when markets are digesting recent gains and determining their next direction, leaving investors in a state of cautious optimism as they await clearer signals about whether the summer rally has more room to run.
Below are links to a number of third-party research reports that we have read and analyzed over the past week. We hope you will find the information interesting, useful, and worthwhile.
BlackRock:
Fidelity:
Capital Group:
Argus:
Northern Trust:
Stanley Katz & Lauren Madera, Financial Advisors
ClientFirst Financial Strategies, Inc.
937-293-5500
Source for weekly stock market returns: Barron’s.
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