Anna's Markets Recap

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Saturday, 5:43 AM

August 16, 2025

Good morning news friend! Here is a quick recap of what happened in the markets this week. 📰🌟

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What are Washington insiders buying and selling?

What are Washington insiders buying and selling?

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What Moved Markets Last Week

The U.S. market rode a wave of volatility. Conflicting inflation data created a tug-of-war for investor sentiment. Stocks soared to record highs mid-week. A late-week sell-off then erased some gains. The market ended the week with no clear direction.

Optimism defined the start of the week. A soft jobs report from early August fueled hopes for a Federal Reserve rate cut. On Tuesday, the July Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed inflation at 2.7%. This was cooler than expected. The market saw this as a green light for the Fed to ease policy.

The S&P 500 surged 1.1% to a new all-time high of 6,445.76. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.4% to a record 21,681.90. The belief in lower rates drove a broad, risk-on rally.

This optimism did not last. On Thursday, the Producer Price Index (PPI) showed wholesale inflation jumped 3.3% year-over-year. This was much hotter than forecasts. The report suggested cost pressures were building. It undermined the narrative of cooling inflation and threw cold water on rate-cut hopes.

The week ended on a negative note. Friday’s University of Michigan report showed consumer sentiment dropped sharply. The report cited consumer worries about inflation. This validated the fears sparked by the PPI report. The S&P 500 fell 0.29% to close the week.

Tech and Growth

The technology sector mirrored the broader market’s sharp reversal. Companies with strong internal news outperformed. Others fell to profit-taking.

NVIDIA hit an all-time high of $183.16 on Tuesday. The stock benefited from the market's initial optimism. It could not hold these gains. The stock retreated to $179.66 by the week's end as rate-cut hopes faded.

Amazon was a clear outperformer. The stock climbed over 4% for the week, closing near $230. On Wednesday, Amazon announced a major expansion of its same-day grocery delivery service. This company-specific growth story overpowered the market's macroeconomic fears.

Meta Platforms also hit an all-time high on Tuesday, closing at $790. The rally was driven by strong growth in its advertising business. New AI-powered tools are boosting its ad effectiveness. Investors focused on the near-term profitability of its AI investments.

Apple struggled. The stock rose with the market on Tuesday but ended the week down. A stream of securities fraud class-action lawsuits filed against the company created an overhang of uncertainty.

Tesla also had a difficult week. Shares fell from $339 to below $331. Like Apple, Tesla was hit by announcements of new class-action lawsuits. This cloud of litigation overshadowed any broader market optimism.

Banks and Financials

Financial stocks are sensitive to interest rate outlooks. They followed the market’s volatile path. The week was capped by a major filing from Berkshire Hathaway.

JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America rose Tuesday on the soft CPI report. The prospect of a stable economy with rate cuts is ideal for banks. The stocks gave back those gains after Thursday's hot PPI report. That data raised fears of higher rates slowing the economy.

Visa and Mastercard proved more resilient. Both stocks climbed steadily through the week. These payment processors are tied more to consumer spending volume than interest rates. Their strength suggests investors do not yet see a collapse in consumer activity.

Berkshire Hathaway released its quarterly 13F filing on Thursday. The report revealed a new $1.6 billion stake in UnitedHealth Group. This was a massive vote of confidence in the health insurer. The filing also showed Berkshire trimmed its positions in Apple and Bank of America.

Consumer Goods and Healthcare

Healthcare and consumer staples followed different paths. A major investment catalyst jolted the healthcare sector. Consumer stocks faced new questions about consumer health.

UnitedHealth Group was the week's biggest story. The stock was down 46% for the year due to regulatory concerns. Berkshire Hathaway’s 13F filing revealed its new $1.6 billion stake. The news was a powerful endorsement. UnitedHealth shares surged over 11% in after-hours trading on Thursday.

Major pharmaceutical companies had a steady week. Eli Lilly shares climbed from around $635 to $660. Johnson & Johnson rose to an all-time high of $174.72 on Thursday. These defensive stocks benefited from their non-cyclical revenues and dividend schedules.

Consumer staples retailers had a tougher week. Costco shares declined from a high of $991 to below $972. Walmart fell from over $103 to close at $100. These stocks came under pressure after Friday's weak consumer sentiment report. The data raised new doubts about the future of consumer spending.

Energy and Industrials

Cyclical energy and industrial stocks navigated volatile commodity prices. Exxon Mobil’s stock tracked the price of crude oil. Home Depot’s stock was quiet as investors awaited its earnings report.

Exxon Mobil shares declined during the week. The stock fell from a high of $107.54 to $106.49. The move was tied directly to the price of crude oil. WTI crude fell mid-week after a report showed an unexpected rise in U.S. inventories. This signaled weakening demand.

Home Depot stock traded in a tight range. The company reports earnings on August 19. The week’s housing data sent a mixed message. The average 30-year mortgage rate fell to a ten-month low of 6.58%. However, the inventory of homes for sale continued to climb, and price growth stalled.

Commodities

Gold prices reflected the week's inflation narrative. The metal rallied after the soft CPI report. It is a traditional hedge against inflation. Gold retreated from the $3,500 per ounce level after the hot PPI report. The prospect of higher interest rates makes non-yielding assets like gold less attractive.

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Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️