Market Breadth, Yield Curves & A Slow Start to October

The Money Wise guys are back with a new episode this week, starting with a review of last week’s numbers from Wall Street. The Dow was up 1.2%, the S&P 500 was up 1.1%, and the NASDAQ was up 1.1%. YTD the Dow is up 13.7%, the S&P is up 21.9%, and the NASDAQ is up 22.2%. Though it was the Dow that had the biggest Q3, we’re seeing the NASDAQ pull away these last few weeks. The Magnificent 7 wasn’t getting quite as much love in Q3, and the Money Wise guys are pleased to see market performance starting to broaden out. They share an eye-opening stat on market breadth: more than 400 stocks in the S&P 500 boast prices above their 200-day moving averages. October had a negative start, possibly because of the yield curve in late Q2 in anticipation of Fed rate cuts, and the guys discuss what that means.

What Is a Yield Curve?

Since we don’t like to use jargon without fully explaining, let’s dig into some yield curve basics. A yield curve is a line that plots the yields or interest rates of bonds that have equal credit quality but different maturity dates. The slope of a yield curve predicts the direction of interest rates and the economic expansion or contraction that could result. Check out a few yield curve scenarios – and what they could mean – here. 

In the second hour, the Money Wise guys share a helpful ‘Are You Ready for Retirement?’ quiz. You don’t want to miss the details! Tune in for the full discussion on your favorite podcast provider or at davidsoncap.com/, where you can also learn more about the Money Wise guys or take advantage of a portfolio review and analysis with Davidson Capital Management.