Stocks rallied on Friday as investor fears about inflation faded even after the Federal Reserve turned unexpectedly hawkish recently. The S&P 500’s modest gains were enough to send the index to yet another record high, reaching 4,280.70.
Financial stocks helped to catapult the broader market index higher after banks passed the Fed’s stress test with flying colors, giving them the all-clear to distribute dividends and buy back shares once again. May personal consumption expenditures, data that monetary policymakers use to gauge inflation, rose 3.4% YoY, as expected, which helped to tame inflation worries.
The S&P 500 advanced 2.7% for the week, its biggest weekly gain since early 2021. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also closed in the green, fueled by gains of more than 15% in apparel stock Nike. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq took a slight step backward after feeling pressure from higher bond yields.
In early Sunday evening, stock futures are higher across the board as investors look to keep the rally going and potentially send the S&P 500 to another new peak. This week, all eyes will be on Friday’s employment report, but there are some stocks to keep an eye on in the interim.
