The rapid rise in bond yields is really making equity markets uneasy. As shown in the Market Snapshot table to the lower right, global equity markets were red for the final week of February, dropping around ‐2% to ‐5%.
Rising bond yields have begun to weigh on equities. Stock indices fell while bond yields continued to climb with the 10‐year U.S. Treasury yield closing the week at 1.34%, up from 1.2% last week and just 0.9% at the start of 2021.
Stocks advanced again this week with the S&P 500 up another +1.2% and closing at its 10th record high of the year. Small company stocks performed even better, gaining +2.5% to put them up nearly +16% in 2021.
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and celebrations will look extremely different this year. Instead of a romantic getaway, you may be taking a virtual vacation! Instead of going to a favorite restaurant, you’re making dinner at home or ordering takeout to share with the kids. In any relationship, flexibility and understanding are essential when you encounter new situations, and the pandemic has reinforced the importance of working with those you trust most.
January’s GameStop craze dissipated and equity volatility plunged as investors refocused on the potential for a big stimulus package, encouraging earnings results, and improving Covid‐19 vaccination and hospitalization data.
S&P 500 drops, volatility pops. After starting the month strong, global equity markets mostly gave up their gains as the month ended. The last week of January was the worst week for the S&P 500 since October and January was its first negative month in since October. Volatility (VIX) jumped from 21 to 37.