After a volatile week, global markets found their footing. Over the past month, the S&P 500 rose 2.4% and the Nasdaq 3.1%. In Europe, the FTSE 100 gained 0.8% and the DAX 1.2%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.4%.
Three things are helping: solid corporate earnings, easing fears about inflation, and hopes for a more stable path for interest rates.
But a good month isn’t the same as a calm one. Markets react to headlines today and to expectations about what comes next. When those expectations shift, prices can move quickly.
That’s why the mood matters as much as the numbers. Investors are more constructive for now, but volatility hasn’t gone anywhere.
The chart tells you where markets have been. The next headline tells you where they might go.
The story behind the number.
