The Week on Wall Street
The shortened week, which began with a powerful two-day rally of trading, was enough to drive the markets into another week of solid gains.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 3.75%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 3.01%. The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 1.77% for the week. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed stock markets overseas, gained 6.18%.[1][2][3]
Rising Optimism
Returning from Memorial Day weekend, stocks surged on rising optimism over economic re-opening, declines in new infections, and progress in the development of a vaccine.
Stocks continued their march higher, lifted by signs that the White House and Congress may be working together to put together another stimulus package. But the momentum lost steam, in part due to news of China’s vote to override Hong Kong’s autonomy. Comments by President Trump on the last day of trading eased concerns.[4][5]
Rotation in Leadership
The recovery from the March lows has been powered by large-cap growth stocks, especially the mega-cap technology names. However, this week saw new sectors leading the market higher, notably the financials and industrials, while the technology and health care sectors lagged.
This leadership rotation is being referred to by some market commentators as the “re-opening trade.” If these sectors are to remain leaders, it may hinge on a steady economic recovery and escaping a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
[1] The Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2020
[2] The Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2020
[3] The Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2020
[4] CNBC.com, May 28, 2020
[5] FoxBusiness.com, May 29, 2020
