US stocks rose for the week, led to the upside by the Dow with a gain of 2.81%. Gold for August delivery hit a nominal record high of $1,254.5 during Tuesday's trading session, as investors sought refuge on the metal due to worries about Europe.
What follows is a summary of this week's statistics on the markets.
Dow Jones Industrial Average
- The Dow ended up 279.10 or 2.81% for the week, snapping 3-weeks of consecutive losses
- Posted its biggest weekly percent increase since April 19, 2010, when it gained 3%
- Settled up ~59% of the time this year, or 66 out of 111 trading sessions
- On Thursday, the Dow had an intraday High/Low point swing of 284.16 points, the eighth largest this year
- The biggest intraday point swing in 2010 occurred during May 6th “Flash Crash” when the Dow hit an intraday High/Low swing of 1010.14 points-its 2nd largest in the history of the Dow
- The Dow has settled above 200 points or greater only 4 times this year
- On Monday, the Dow closed below the intraday low it hit during the May 6th “Flash Crash” at 9816.49, and settled at its lowest level since November 4, 2009
- The Dow has closed below 10,000 only 6 times this year
- 26 of the Dow 30 components advanced for the week, while 4 companies finished down
- The Dow is off by -3,953.46 or -27.91% from the market peak on October 9, 2007 of 14,164.53
S&P 500
- The S&P 500 ended up 26.72 or 2.51% for the week, logging its best weekly percent increase since March 5, 2010, when it gained 3.1%
- On Thursday, the S&P closed up 31.15 points or 2.95%, its largest point and percent gain since May 27, when it rose 35.11 or 3.29%
- The S&P has settled above 30 points or greater only 3 times this year
- On Monday, the S&P closed down -14.41 or -1.35% at 1,050.47, its lowest closing level since November 4, 2009
- The S&P has settled up ~58% of the time this year or 64 out of 111 trading sessions
- 438 (~88%) of the S&P 500 components rose for the week, and 62 companies finished down
- The S&P is off -473.55 or -30.26% from the market peak on October 9, 2007 of 1,565.15
NASDAQ Composite
- The NASDAQ Composite ended up 24.43 or 1.1% for the week
- Since the start of this year, the NASDAQ Composite has posted on average weekly losses of -0.04%, and it has seen weekly gains about 57% of the time
- On Thursday, the NASDAQ advanced 59.86 or 2.77%, its largest point and percent gain since May 27, when it rose 81.81 or 3.73%
- The NASDAQ has settled above 55 points or greater only 4 times this year
- On Wednesday, the NASDAQ closed down for the 4th consecutive day at 2158.85, its lowest closing level since February 10, 2010, and its longest daily losing streak since May 7
- The NASDAQ has settled up ~56% of the time this year or 62 out of 111 trading sessions
- 73 of the NASDAQ 100 components increased for the week
- The NASDAQ is -615.52 or -21.53% from its 6-year + high reached on October 31, 2007 of 2,859.12
S&P 500 Sectors
Ten out of ten sectors closed the week in positive territory, led to the upside by material and energy stocks.
- AvalonBay Communities was the biggest percent gainer in the materials sector, up 12% for the week
- Energy stocks were helped by Pioneer Natural Resources, up 11% this week
- Year-to-date, seven out of ten sectors are trading in negative territory, led to the downside by telecom stocks with a loss of nearly 8%, and to the upside by consumer discretionary companies, with a gain of 8%
