Indices closed well into red territory on Monday with both the S&P 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average declining more than 4%. Oil also slipped 1.9% to settle at $64.24 a barrel. Meanwhile, services industry activity increased in January as the ISM non-manufacturing index jumped to 59.9 from 56 in December. Despite a rocky start that pushed the Dow into correction territory, the major indices reversed their early losses and landed in green territory on Tuesday. The powerful comeback may reflect a realization by investors that the economy is still strong. In economic releases, investors learned the U.S. trade deficit increased to $53.1 billion in December from a revised $50.4 billion in November. Volatility was back midweek as the trading day swung from green to close in the red. The likely cause of the market’s recent volatility could be fears of a rapid rise in inflation based on last Friday’s better-than-expected jobs report and news of the fastest annual wage growth in some time. Indices closed considerably lower on Thursday with Industrials, Financials and Technology sector stocks leading the decliners. The Dow and S&P 500 entered correction territory as concerns of rising interest rates and volatility impacted markets. For the roller coaster week, indices closed with gains on Friday. The Dow added 330 points in a late afternoon rally while the broader S&P 500 Index was ahead by 39, and the tech-heavy NASDAQ had advanced 97 points. The sector breakdown was dominated by advancers, including Technology and Utility stocks gaining 1.6% and 1.2%, respectively. Although impressive, the late rally was not nearly enough to erase the week’s losses, with equities down more than 5% over the last five sessions.
