Edward Jones-Financial Advisor: Ray Trost

Some weeks are more consequential than others in shaping the market narrative, and last week was one of them.

The Federal Reserve delivered on what markets have been hoping for and anxiously anticipating over the past two years. Interest rates were cut by a larger-than-typical 0.5%, signaling a critical turning point in the monetary policy cycle.

We offer five key takes on what last week's announcement means for the economy and markets.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

Investors focused in on inflation data last week, with markets continuing to filter the balance of consumer price trends and economic readings through the lens of what it means for Fed interest rate moves ahead.

We zoom in on key items that were in the frame last week, and then zoom out for a better view of the bigger picture for the markets.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

After last week's soft jobs report, markets continued their risk-off positioning that began in the seasonally volatile month of September. We share our view on the slowing labor market and recommendations for investors in the current backdrop.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

To frame the August swings, we examine what's changed, what hasn't and what the evolving conditions may mean for the road ahead.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

Markets spent the past week largely treading water. While there were no major surprises, we do think the Federal Reserve's freshest commentary provided three key takeaways that will be important for markets ahead.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

Markets over the past week continued to recover from the previous week's sharp pullback.

In our view, the backdrop of softer inflation and cooling but positive economic growth still points to a Fed that will likely begin cutting rates as soon as the September 18 FOMC meeting.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

For any investors that were looking the 2024 gift horse in the mouth, last week showed some teeth. We don't think the recent pullback should be patently dismissed, but panic is not the proper reaction either.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

The final week of July was a whirlwind, filled with a flurry of earnings reports, three central bank meetings and key labor market data. We look at five key turning points that may define performance in the months ahead.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

After more than 1 ½ years of large-cap growth sectors and the "Magnificent 7" leading the market, what has caused a somewhat sudden rotation away from the tech darlings? We highlight three key elements.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

As we kicked off 2024, one of our 10 key calls for the year was our view that while equity markets would continue to perform well, the market's underlying leadership would rotate, broadening out beyond 2023's Magnificent Seven concentration.

We take a look at how this recently showed up within three key market matchups, and what it may mean for investors' portfolios.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

Check out our midyear review and outlook for the back half of 2024 in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

Our latest Weekly Market Wrap discusses a potential silver lining to the cooling economy and how inflation may also be resuming a gradual cooling period. Read on for potential effects on the markets, whether or not we see moderating inflation.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

With the first half of 2024 now in the books, our latest Weekly Market Wrap takes a look at a few notable winners and losers in the markets. Check out our views on what that performance means for the remainder of the year.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

In our latest Weekly Market Wrap, we explore the current state of the consumer, the outlook for spending and the implications for both the economy and the markets.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

The June FOMC meeting and U.S. inflation data were front and center last week, with both offering some positive news for the bulls. Our Weekly Market Wrap highlights potential market opportunities ahead.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

The onset of summer coincided with signs of a cooling economy and mixed signals on the labor market, best described as a gradual normalization rather than a sudden shift.

We highlight four trends to watch in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

This year's intense focus on the timing of a potential Fed rate cut, as well as the mania around AI, have been well documented. But there's more to this market than meets the eye.

We share three things that might come as a surprise in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

After 4 weeks of rallying, markets took a breather last week, despite stellar earnings from the artificial intelligence (AI) darling Nvidia. While returns were narrow and concentrated in the technology space early on, diversification will likely be a key theme as the bull market continues and matures.

Find out more in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

With inflation's peak in the rear view, and the stock market climbing to a new summit in recent days, last week highlighted the role the descent in inflation is having on the ascent in equities. We think these conjoining trends can persist, though likely with a few more hiccups along the way.

Check out our peak perspectives in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

As the first quarter earnings season wraps up, we offer our take on the state of corporate America, which provides a valuable compass for evaluating the overall trajectory of stocks.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

After five months of sharp and steady gains beginning last November, the mood in the financial markets has shifted in recent weeks. The catalysts for the swing – Fed policy, the jobs market, corporate earnings – were all in the spotlight last week.

We offer our take in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

Between a barrage of corporate earnings, the first quarter GDP report, and the release of the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, investors had plenty to digest as markets continue navigate a bumpy start to the second quarter.

While new data flooded in, the narrative stayed largely unchanged in our view, and stocks recovered some of the April losses on the back of strength from tech.

We offer our take on last week's developments along with portfolio implications.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

After a 25% run higher in the S&P 500 over the past six months, the tone in the markets in recent weeks seems to have shifted. In our view, volatility has been sparked by a trifecta of recent data and news flow.

We share our take on three drivers of the recent market pullback in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

Along with last week's solar eclipse came another seemingly rare event: the stock market turned lower, with hotter-than-expected inflation data eclipsing the enthusiasm around upcoming Fed rate cuts.

Although we've been of the view that the recent sharp market rally will eventually need to blink, more broadly, we still think there's a good case for investors to look up.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

Employment conditions plus inflation trends equals Fed interest rate decisions. This is the calculus that has been guiding market performance for the past two years.

The first variable in that equation was in full focus last week as the latest jobs report provided a fresh look at the state of the labor market. While the better-than-expected results showed that the economy remains in good health, markets will continue to do the math on what this means for upcoming Fed actions.

In our latest Weekly Market Wrap, we offer our take on the implications for markets as we advance.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.