Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: McClain King

05/04/2026

April capped a sharp V‑shaped recovery, with the S&P 500 rising 10%, its strongest monthly gain since November 2020. This advance came despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and lingering energy concerns. That apparent disconnect has left many investors asking a familiar question: why are markets holding up so well?

A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

04/13/2026

A ceasefire between the U.S., Iran, and Israel has sparked hopes for a durable de‑escalation in this conflict, driving oil prices lower and triggering a sharp rebound in equity and bond markets. While volatility has eased, there may well be bumps ahead of the April 21 ceasefire deadline, with significant hurdles to overcome before a peace deal can be reached. Still, the willingness to de-escalate is an encouraging signal.

A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

04/06/2026

Markets began the week hopeful that the Iran war may be winding down. The administration's rhetoric pointed to two to three weeks before the U.S. would exit Iran, indicating it would even consider leaving without a deal in place. Markets welcomed the news of some end to the crisis and hopes of de-escalation in the region, and stocks rallied sharply at the start of the week.

A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

03/24/2026

Markets remain on edge as the Iran conflict enters its fourth week, with stocks moving in the opposite direction of the sharp swings in oil prices. Recent attacks on Middle East energy infrastructure triggered the first 5% pullback in the S&P 500 this year, underscoring investor sensitivity to escalating geopolitical risks. Amid the largest disruption to global oil markets on record, central banks now face a policy dilemma: respond to the upside risks to inflation or the downside risks to the labor market? While the ultimate trajectory of the conflict remains uncertain, we offer the following perspective on the potential economic, Fed, and market implications.

A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

03/17/2026

Disruptions to global oil supply stemming from the conflict in Iran pushed oil prices higher last week, sparking volatility in markets. Global equity markets ended the week lower, while Treasury yields moved higher. Volatility may persist in the coming weeks as investors assess the extent of disruptions to global energy markets. Historically, geopolitical conflicts have had disruptive but short‑lived impacts on markets, and that remains our base case. Accordingly, we believe the global outlook remains constructive, and we view recent pullbacks as potentially attractive entry points across global equity markets.

A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

03/09/2026

Last week was a difficult one in markets. Oil prices spiked more than 30%, major U.S. equity markets were down between 2%-5%, international and emerging-market equites fell an even larger 5%-10%, and 10-year government bond yields jumped 20 basis points (0.2%). However, corporate profitability has been rising and broadening, tax cuts are starting to filter through the economy, and AI investment remains a tailwind, with tentative signs emerging that this is starting to lift productivity growth.

A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

03/02/2026

While the pendulum around AI may continue to swing between fear and excitement, we believe investors should not lose sight of what we think remains a positive backdrop for stocks. Corporate earnings continue to strengthen within and beyond AI, the U.S. economy appears to be on track for another year of solid growth, employment remains stable, the Fed maintains a bias toward easing, market seasonality may improve in the months ahead, and market leadership is broadening.

A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

02/23/2026

On February 20, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down IEEPA-based tariffs that were imposed on trading partners globally. However, for financial markets, the overhang of the pending tariff decision by the U.S. Supreme Court has now been lifted. In our view, many investors had anticipated this result and that the administration would pursue alternative measures to implement tariffs. Perhaps the silver lining is that the 15% tariffs that were announced are in line with current tariff rates and should not create global trade disruptions or panic like we saw in April 2025.

A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

01/12/2026

The first week of 2026 has been an eventful one, from both an economic data lens and a policy and geopolitics perspective. In this short period of time, we have seen U.S. military action in Venezuela, digested a fresh set of labor-market data, and are now awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court on U.S. tariff policy.

What are the implications of these actions, and what do investors need to know? Here are our top 3 takeaways:

A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

01/02/2026

It’s a new year, a fresh start. Here’s to the opportunities in the coming year.