Edward Jones - Mae Luchetti: Financial Advisor

It was a quiet week for the markets in terms of headlines and new data, with markets oscillating day to day but finishing with a modest move for the week. It's been anything but a quiet year, however.

Key takeaways: Even after six straight weeks of gains, markets remained in holiday mode last week, with stocks marking their seventh week of positive returns.

Key takeaways: The Fed's next move will likely be a rate cut instead of a hike, but the timing of when that might happen could be a source of volatility.The labor market remains strong but is gradually loosening, which, together with better inflation...

Stocks have been on their comeback tour in 2023, mounting a nearly-20% gain so far this year after a lousy 2022. The latest leg of that tour has been particularly enthusiastic, with the market having just closed the books on a banner November.

This past week brought our holiday opportunity to focus on the things we're thankful for. With Thanksgiving 2022  coming as stocks were down 16% on the year, 2023 has brought a market more worthy of investors' thanks.

The combination of consumer and employment data this month suggest that after a long stretch of above-average growth, we may begin to see some fatigue in household consumption and some cooling in the labor market.

The U.S. economy has remained remarkably resilient through the first three quarters of 2023. In fact, the third-quarter GDP annualized growth rate of 4.9% was the strongest since 2021 and well above what is considered trend growth in the U.S.

Key takeaways: Stocks rallied sharply last week, as economic data and Fed commentary spurred a decline in interest rates.The outlook for monetary policy remains firmly behind the wheel for financial markets.

Key takeaways: This past week, markets remained on edge as Treasury bond yields continued their march higher. The 10-year Treasury yield is getting particular attention as it nears 5%, a level last seen in 2007.

Key takeaways: The events in the Middle East are a human tragedy that should not be dismissed, but markets have a long history of overcoming geopolitical shocks.The silver lining from the recent surge in Treasury yields is that it may reduce the need for.