The stock market had a mixed week in the past week, with the S&P 500 ending the week up 0.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite Index were both down slightly.
There were a number of factors that contributed to the mixed performance of the stock market in the past week. One factor was the ongoing war in Ukraine, which continued to weigh on investor sentiment. Another factor was the rising interest rates in the United States, which could lead to slower economic growth.
Despite these headwinds, there were some positive news stories that helped to boost the stock market in the past week. For example, the U.S. economy added 372,000 jobs in May, which was more than economists had expected. Additionally, corporate earnings reports were mostly positive in the past week, which helped to support the stock market.
Looking ahead, the stock market is likely to remain volatile in the near term. Investors will be closely watching the ongoing war in Ukraine, as well as the pace of interest rate hikes in the United States. If the war in Ukraine escalates or if interest rates rise too quickly, it could lead to a sell-off in the stock market. However, if the war in Ukraine de-escalates or if interest rates rise at a gradual pace, it could lead to a rally in the stock market.
Here are some of the top stock market news stories from the past week:
- The U.S. economy added 372,000 jobs in May, which was more than economists had expected.
- Corporate earnings reports were mostly positive in the past week, which helped to support the stock market.
- The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates by 0.75 percentage points at its next meeting on July 26-27.
- The war in Ukraine continues to weigh on investor sentiment.
Here are some of the top stocks to watch in the coming week:
- Apple (#AAPL) is a strong buy, as the company is well-positioned to benefit from the continued growth of the smartphone market.
- Microsoft (#MSFT) is another strong buy, as the company is a leader in the cloud computing market.
- Tesla (#TSLA) is a risky buy, but the company has the potential to deliver significant returns if it can continue to grow its electric vehicle business.
- Amazon (#AMZN) is a good value play, as the company is trading at a discount to its historical valuation multiples.
- Alphabet (#GOOGL) is a solid long-term investment, as the company is a leader in the online advertising market.
Overall, the stock market is likely to remain volatile in the near term. However, there are some positive factors that could support the market in the coming weeks, such as strong corporate earnings and a gradual pace of interest rate hikes. Investors should carefully monitor the news and economic data in the coming week to get a better sense of the direction of the stock market.