Thursday,
August 1, 2024

Market recap

Dow Jones

40,842.79

+99.46 (+0.24%)

S&P 500

5,522.30

+85.86 (+1.58%)

Nasdaq

17,599.40

+451.98 (+2.64%)

NVIDIA

$117.02

+$13.29 (+12.81%)

Arm

$144.17

+$11.21 (+8.43%)

Boeing

$190.60

+$3.74 (+2.00%)

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Top Story

Does money buy happiness after all?

Research findings are saying yes, but it’s not quite as simple as that. Here’s what matters even more.

Read more >>


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US stocks finished higher on Wednesday

•   Markets cheered hopes for a potential September interest rate cut by the Fed.

•   Chip stocks rebounded, led by a 12.8% bounce in NVIDIA shares.

•   The 30-year mortgage rate held steady at 6.82% for the week ending July 26th.

What to be on the lookout for today

•   A look at the state of the manufacturing sector, along with more tech giant earnings.

•   Apple and Amazon will report, joined by Block Inc, DoorDash, Moderna, Intel, and Shell.

So, will we get a rate cut in September?

If you ask the market, the answer seems yes. But Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was more measured in his commentary on Wednesday.

While the Fed left interest rates unchanged (as expected), Powell said data from the past months was helping the central bankers build the confidence needed to make the first rate cut – even if some more confidence was desired. Interest rates have been high for a while now, and it’s bringing back an uncomfortable question for the Fed: Is it behind the curve?

“There is no magic number of months that policy should remain restrictive, but if labor market conditions weaken considerably between now and September 18th, it will appear that they waited too long,” said SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Young Thomas. And in that scenario, markets could get jittery. Read more >>


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Today’s top stories

Americans are migrating south — and so are entry-level jobs

Forget New York or San Francisco. The top five places for young graduates on the hunt for jobs are southern cities, per this study.

Read more >>

Compact cars are making a comeback

Sales of small cars are surging as Americans grapple with high prices.

Read more >>

What are labor market indicators?

The Fed will be watching labor market data closely over the summer. But what exactly are they?

Read more >>

Other news that caught our eye

Financial planner tip of the day

"When aiming to diversify your exchange-traded fund (ETF) holdings, bear in mind that the ETF wrapper, or fund structure, does not offer diversification in and of itself. Investors must look to the focus or underlying holdings to ensure proper diversification."

Brian Walsh, CFP® at SoFi

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