John Hancock: Weekly Market Recap Week Ended March 12th
Records set
The Dow crossed the 32,000 point level for the first time on Wednesday, then pushed its record higher on Thursday as the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 also posted historic highs. It’s been a quick surge to 32,000 for the Dow, which eclipsed 31,000 in early January; in late November, it topped 30,000.
Yields unsettled
The recent price slide in the U.S. Treasury bond market continued, as yields extended their rise. After closing the previous week at 1.55%, the yield of the 10-year note slipped as low as 1.50% on Thursday before surging on Friday to 1.63%—the highest in 13 months.
Value leads growth
For the fourth week in a row, U.S. value stocks outperformed growth stocks—a short-term shift that threatens to reverse the growth style’s run of outperformance in recent years. A value stock benchmark gained 3.2% while a growth benchmark added 2.5%; over four weeks, the value index rose 5.9% while its growth counterpart fell 5.5%.
Fed ahead
The U.S. Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged—and at a near-zero level—when it concludes a two-day meeting on Wednesday. Fed statements will be closely watched in the wake of a recent rise in bond yields, driven in part by inflation concerns.
Source: https://wmr.jhinvestments.com/