Weekly Market Insights: Market Retreats on Inflation, Economic Reports

Stocks fell last week as investors reacted to disappointing inflation updates and other economic reports that fell short of estimates.

Stocks Snap Winning Streak

Markets were quiet Monday but opened lower Tuesday in response to the January inflation report that showed higher-than-expected consumer prices. But stocks regained some momentum on Wednesday and rallied Thursday despite disappointing reports on both retail sales and industrial production for January.^1,2

News of higher-than-expected wholesale prices on Friday put investors back on edge and kept stocks from ending the week on a positive note. The weekly loss broke a five-week winning streak.³

Footnotes and Sources

1. ^{The Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2024.}
2. ^{CNBC, February 16, 2024.}
3. ^{The Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2024.}
4. ^{The Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2024.}