The latest batch of robust earnings results from major companies helped lift stocks, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite reaching new highs.
Growth stocks can be expensive, but if you are trying to be aggressive with a portion of your investment portfolio, you often have to pay a premium for the privilege.
The expected Q2 '25 EPS and revenue growth rates actually bottomed around the Memorial Day weekend, rather than the week of every quarter as is the typical pattern. While only 59 companies have reported Q2 '25 results so far, (23 of the 59 companies reported are financial sector companies), the upside surprise is +7.2%, and the biggest upside surprise is financials at +10%. Expect another decent quarter, although with the new August 1 deadline for tariffs, maybe the anxiety and angst now shift to the 3rd quarter of '25. Or maybe tariffs shouldn't have been a concern to begin with.
The S&P 500 notched a new record high this week, its ninth of the year. The index ultimately finished the week up 0.6%, its third weekly gain in the past four weeks.
The index trades at just over 22 times analysts' expected earnings, in aggregate. That may seem expensive, but not when considering Big Tech.
The stock market has been reaching new heights in recent weeks. Since their low points in early April, the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.40%) and Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.18%) have surged by around 26% and 35%, respectively, as of this writing.
Non-tech and cyclical stocks sat out Tuesday's earlier rally, underscoring how narrow the S&P 500's latest gains really are
Calpers beat its assumed rate of return during the June year. But the pension fund was still outperformed by major indexes.
Three major research firms have lifted their year-end S&P 500 price targets this month alone.
Now that we're more than halfway through 2025, let's take a look at the top 10 most-read charts so far for the year. From market updates and valuations to consumer attitudes and gas prices, these charts have provided crucial insights into the economic landscape that has shaped the first six months.
“As such, a risk to bulls, with the above technical levels in mind, is the Trump administration sounding ‘less friendly' in the days and weeks ahead as they attempt to iron out trade deals and in the context of the SPX's recovery as trade war de-escalation took root.
The S&P 500 retreated on Friday from its record high set the previous day. The index posted a 0.3% weekly loss, snapping its two-week win streak.