First City Wealth

06/01/2026

And just like that, it's June... yes June. Five months of 2026 are gone in the blink of an eye.

Since bottoming on March 30th, US equities are up 19% and continue to push new all-time highs. The S&P has finished positive for 9 straight weeks. If it can tack on a 10th this week, it would be the longest such streak since Dec. 1985. We're talking a time when Rocky IV was #1 at the box office.

While the market continues to push all-time highs, the market is lopsided. Only 4 of the 11 S&P sectors are outperforming the broader index. These are Energy, Technology, Industrials, and Materials.

Looking back at week-ending 5/29 all three indexes finished in positive territory. The S&P +1.44% (+11.27% ytd), the Dow +0.91% (+6.86% ytd), and the Nasdaq +2.39% (+16.33% ytd).

If you're looking to make sense of this market and in need of help navigating your financial future, let's chat.

05/27/2026

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day and was able to take advantage of the one day of sunshine we have seen over the past couple of weeks.

Major averages finished higher heading into the holiday weekend with the S&P gaining +0.91% (+9.69% ytd), the Dow +2.18% (+5.89% ytd) and the Nasdaq +0.48% (+13.62% ytd).

Have a great week!

05/20/2026

After multiple weeks of the major indexes moving higher and breaching all-time highs, the market took a breather week-ending 5/15 with little change. The S&P finished +0.17% (+8.70% ytd), the Dow -0.11% (+3.63% ytd), and the Nasdaq -0.06% (+13.07% ytd).

I have included a brief 4 minute video on an interesting take for international exposure within your portfolio. If you would like to discuss your current allocation and whether you are positioned within your comfort, reach out.

05/11/2026

Markets continued to push through a great deal of noise last week and finished higher once again. For week-ending 5/8 the S&P closed +2.36% (+8.52% ytd), the Dow +0.25% (+3.75% ytd), and the Nasdaq +4.52% (+13.14% ytd).

05/04/2026

For week-ending May 1, April finished the month with the momentum it carried throughout. The three major indexes were up with the S&P +09.2% (+6.02% ytd), the Dow +0.55% (+3.49% ytd) and the Nasdaq +1.12% (+8.25% ytd) capping the best month for both the Nasdaq and S&P since 2020 and since Nov 2024 for the Dow.

The Fed held rates steady at last week's meeting as expected but the group was mostly split on the direction of future movements as Chair Powell led his final meeting. The price at the pump is increasing pressure on the pockets of consumers and we continue to see an inability of Iran and the US to reach an agreement to end the conflict. The markets have been resilient in the face of the back and forth and we will keep an eye on Q1 earnings reports as they are released.

04/27/2026

As we make the transition this week from April to May, there has been a significant disparity in the past two month's returns. While March consistently gave us weekly declines with a bottoming out on March 30th, April has reversed course and brought us back into all-time high conversations.

While the global conflicts that are occurring, and the impacts of these are certainly increasing both market volatility and everyday prices for consumers, the resiliency of the US economy has been a bright spot. There is an argument to be made that we aren't out of the woods yet, and further disruptions are not unlikely, the market trend and sentiment seems to be mirroring 2025 when tariff rollouts had their impact.

For week ending 4/24 the S&P finished +0.56% (+5.05% ytd), the Dow -0.41% (+2.93% ytd), and the Nasdaq +1.51% (+7.04% ytd). Energy prices, interest rate speculation, and consumer buying power will remain hot conversation pieces but I am cautiously optimistic that the upward market trend can continue. For further discussion, reach out. I'd love the opportunity to help you reach your financial goals.

04/22/2026

Cautious optimism is the current viewpoint for 2026. There are several reasons to be optimistic while there are always reasons for concern. Take a slightly deeper dive with this brief article.

In this week’s Markets in a Minute, Kara Murphy unpacks first quarter performance and touches on some reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the balance of the year.

04/20/2026

Markets continued their strong run in April with positive returns for week-ending 4/17. The S&P finished +4.55% (+4.47% ytd), the Dow +3.19% (+3.35% ytd), and the Nasdaq +6.84% (+5.46% ytd).

This week quarterly earnings will be in focus as investors wait to assess the impact of the Iran War on corporate results and the broader economy.

04/15/2026

What happened in Q1 and where do we look in Q2?

1 like. "Money with Murphy – Q1 2026 Market Review: Adjusting to Volatility"

04/13/2026

The markets were able to record a second consecutive week of positive returns and pull the major indexes within striking distance of positive territory for the year after week-ending 4/10. The S&P finished +3.58% (-0.07% ytd), the Dow +3.07% (+0.15% ytd), and the Nasdaq +4.68% (-1.29% ytd).

Don't forget that taxes are due this week so get them filed, or at the very least get you extension filed to avoid those penalties. Either way, your IRA contributions (excluding SEP) are due be close of business Wed, 4/15.

Have a great week!