Stock market news

Equities closed the day lower for the third time in a row, following Thursday's sharp rally that helped erase Monday's sell-off. Concerns around the Evergrande and property developer situation in China remain but have simmered from the boil that sparked early-week volatility. Overseas markets moved the opposite direction, with European and Asian markets lower. The bond market has been on the move as well, with 10-year Treasury yields jumping above 1.4% for the first time in more than two months, spurred by this week's Fed meeting that revealed the central bank's intentions to reduce bond purchases in the coming months.

Equity markets edged slightly downward last week, and the S&P 500 logged its first five-day losing streak since mid-February. In reality, major indexes are barely down on the month and little over 1% off record highs¹. But there's a bit of caution in the air. Global growth concerns are mounting at the same time as central banks are lifting their foot off the accelerator, and markets remain remarkably tranquil in the face of rising uncertainty. We'd offer the following perspective on the key questions that investors grapple with as the narrative evolves.

^{Sources: 1. Bloomberg}

The Quarterly Market Outlook offers our perspective on recent activity in the capital markets. The Edward Jones Investment Policy Committee offers its viewpoints on the U.S. economy, stocks, the bond market, international markets and asset classes, as well as a special topic of interest to investors each quarter.

These aren’t short-term predictions. Rather, this is Edward Jones’ perspective on market and economic topics, designed to help you make decisions affecting your long-term financial strategy. As you read through each topic, you'll find specific actions you can discuss with your financial advisor.