The Markets (as of market close May 5, 2017)
Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reached record highs last week as most of the benchmark indexes listed here posted solid gains. Only the Russell 2000 ended last week in negative territory, falling almost a quarter of a point. While the economic news last week was mixed, a strong labor report was apparently enough to offset stagnant price and wage gains in April. While the Fed didn’t see enough economic growth to raise interest rates, the Committee expects the economy to continue to strengthen over time. Prices fell for 10-year Treasuries, pushing yields higher. Overall, equities performed fairly well, despite falling oil prices and the petition of Puerto Rico for federal relief from its $51 billion debt, which would be the largest restructuring of municipal debt in U.S. history.