- US stocks rose on Monday after November was the best month of the year for markets.
- The Dow Jones and S&P 500 surged in November after the Presidential election.
- Investors are focused on economic data and Fed speeches this week as the holiday shopping season heats up.
US indexes edged higher on Monday morning as investors took stock after the best month of the year for the S&P 500.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 surged 7.5% and 5.7% in November, respectively, with the swift resolution of the Presidential election helping boost animal spirits following Donald Trump’s win.
With the third-quarter earnings season mostly over, investors will turn their attention to economic data as the holiday shopping season heats up.
Here’s where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. opening bell on Monday:
- S&P 500: 6,040.32, 0.14%
- Dow Jones Industrial Average: 44,832.54, down 0.17% (-78.11 points)
- Nasdaq composite: 19,331.87, up 0.6%
The retail deal season continued following Black Friday, with Cyber Monday deals set to take over this week.
According to data from Mastercard Spending Pulse, there was a 3.4% year-over-year increase in US retail sales on Black Friday, which included both in-person and online sales.
The bulk of the Black Friday sales gains came from online sales, which were up 14.6%, compared to just a 0.7% increase in in-store sales, according to Mastercard.
“Black Friday was a good indicator of how the holiday season is positively shaping up,” said Michelle Meyer, chief economist at Mastercard Economics Institute.
“Our real-time insights show that consumers are comfortably in the gift-giving spirit as price reductions and deals occur across sectors, supporting budgets for holiday shopping.”
It was also a big long holiday weekend for the box office, with Moana 2, Wicked, and Gladiator 2 bringing in a combined $424 million in ticket sales.
Turning to economic data this week, investors will be eyeing November auto sales data on Tuesday, ADP employment data on Wednesday, and the November jobs report on Friday.
It’s also a big week for Fedspeak, with 12 Fed Presidents or Governors scheduled to deliver remarks in the week, headlined by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday.
Here’s what else is going on:
- Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger resigned from the company on Sunday, marking the end of a tumultuous three-year tenure.
- Donald Trump said he would levy a 100% tariff on countries that give up the US dollar.
- President Joe Biden issued a pardon for his son Hunter Biden, who pleaded guilty to federal gun and tax evasion charges.
- Here’s how a soaring US dollar is impacting consumers’ wallets.
In commodities, bonds, and crypto:
- West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.21% to $68.82 a barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was higher by 1.06% to $72.60 a barrel.
- Gold declined 0.28% to $2,673.60 an ounce.
- The 10-year Treasury yield jumped 6 basis points to 4.234%.
- Bitcoin fell 1.06% to $96,246.
