The week began with a strong rally that propelled the S&P 500 index to its biggest five-day percentage gain since 2011 as investors bet low interest rates would stick around for longer as a result of the weaker-than-expected jobs report released last Friday. The Institute for Supply Management’s non-manufacturing index hit 56.9, which was well shy of August’s reading of 59 and expectations of 57.5. The markets were mixed on Tuesday while the Commerce Department data showed the U.S. trade deficit grew nearly 16% to $48.3 billion in August. Exports slipped by 2% to $185.1 billion. Stocks led the markets back into green territory Wednesday with Energy stocks trading higher despite a dip in crude oil prices. The rally continued Thursday when the Federal Reserve released comments from their September meeting. The report showed that members believed it would be prudent to wait until risks eased before tightening monetary policy, noting that weaker Chinese growth and market volatility would prove an obstacle to inflation hitting the Fed’s 2% target rate. The week was capped off with strong gains across several sectors.
