Weekly Market Bullets

for the week ending 4/24/2026

• US Equity Markets marched higher last week in choppy trading, fueled by the extension of the ceasefire with Iran and a recovery in Mag 7 stocks. The S&P 500 was up 0.6% for the week and is now up 4.7% for the year. The Nasdaq rose 1.5% for the week to bring its gains for the year to 6.9%, while the Russell 2000 (small cap stocks) increased 0.4% for the week and is now up 12.3% for the year.

• Global Equity Markets were mixed last week as European countries slashed their growth forecasts amid rising energy prices and concerns over energy supply. Developed Markets declined 2.7% for the week and are now up 4.7% for the year. Emerging Markets were up 0.8% for the week to bring their gains for the year to 14.6%.

• US Consumer Data continue to show resilience. Retail Sales for March rose 1.7% from February, higher than forecasts. While gasoline prices (up 15.5%) accounted for much of this, several categories posted healthy gains including Furniture and Home Furnishings (up 2.2%), General Merchandise (up 1.0%), and Electronics and Appliances (up 0.9%).

• Is Artificial Intelligence actually starting to create jobs? Given ongoing concerns about AI eliminating jobs, it is interesting to see that job postings for Software jobs, which is supposedly the area to be hit the hardest by AI, have been increasing. Based on job posting site Indeed, the number of software job postings has been steadily increasing this year, with the apparent bottom back in May 2025. At the same time, the Unemployment Rate for people aged 20-24, the demographic most likely impacted by AI, has dropped from 9.0% last fall to 6.4% in March, with some private surveys showing a drop to 5.6%. Perhaps the worst disruption in the most impacted areas may already be passing.

Market Data

for the week ending 4/24/2026