Investment Review - May 2025
- April was a volatile month for the U.S. equities. The magnitude of President Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement sent the markets into steep five-day corrections. On April 9, the president declared a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, and equities rallied from there. The major U.S. equity indices posted a mixed set of returns for the full month of April. The Nasdaq Composite appreciated 0.9%, the S&P 500 declined 0.7%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.1%.
- The price of crude oil has fallen from $80 per barrel on January 15 to $58 per barrel at the end of April. The month of April alone saw the biggest monthly decline in crude since 2021. Saudi Arabia signaling that they are going to increase production to gain market share and the fear of slowing global trade are the primary factors for the weakness.
Key Investment Statistics
Sources: FactSet, Dow Jones Publishing, Bloomberg, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Federal Reserve, Yardeni Research, Wall Street Journal, Bureau of Economic Analysis
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