SPX Ended The Week At 2363

 | Apr 02, 2017 01:10AM ET

REVIEW

The market started the week at SPX 2344. After a gap down opening on Monday to SPX 2322 the market moved higher for the rest of the week. On Tuesday the SPX hit 2364, pulled back to 2353 on Wednesday, then hit 2370 on Thursday. On Friday it ended the week at SPX 2363. For the week the SPX/DOW gained 0.55%, and the NDX/NAZ gained 1.40%. Economic reports were mostly positive. On the downtick: consumer sentiment, the WLEI and the Q1 GDP estimate. On the uptick: Case-Shiller, consumer confidence, pending home sales, Q4 GDP, personal income/spending, the PCE and the Chicago PMI. Next week’s reports will be highlighted by the monthly payrolls report and the ISMs.

LONG TERM: uptrend

Friday ended the week, the month, and the quarter. For the month the SPX lost just 1-point, but for the quarter it gained a respectable 5.5%. During the quarter a new president took office, many executive orders were signed, two immigration orders were blocked by the courts, and a new healthcare bill didn’t gather enough support to even receive a vote. Not much accomplished. The FED, however, raised rates to 0.75% – 1.00%, their third rate increase since December 2015. Consumer confidence, small business confidence, and home builder confidence all hit their highest levels in 13 years. While the new administration is trying to get their policies underway, and rates are being nudged back up to normal. There is a growing consensus of optimism, despite the partisanship on Capitol Hill.