Anna's Markets Recap

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Saturday, 5:20 AM

September. 6, 2025

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

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This past week, they were selling. A lot.

One senator on the powerful Appropriations Committee just dumped 17 different positions. He sold everything from precious metals and tech stocks to broad market funds. Another House member trimmed her stakes in dozens of blue-chips—Microsoft, BlackRock, Walmart, you name it.

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What Moved Markets Last Week

The stock market rallied on a strange logic. Weak economic news fueled investor hopes for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut. This "bad news is good news" mindset pushed major indexes to new records.

The S&P 500 gained 1.59% for the week. The Nasdaq Composite rose 2.03%. Both indexes set all-time highs. The technology sector led the charge, climbing 2.76%.

This optimism was built on troubling labor market data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced a huge revision. It stated 911,000 fewer jobs were created in the year ending March 2025 than first reported. This was the largest revision of its kind on record.

New data confirmed the slowdown. Initial jobless claims for the week ending September 6 rose to 263,000. This was the highest number since October 2021.

Inflation numbers sent mixed signals. The Producer Price Index (PPI) for August fell 0.1%. This surprised forecasters who expected a 0.3% rise. But the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.4% in August, driven by shelter and food costs. Investors focused on the weak labor data and the soft PPI print. They concluded the Fed would cut rates.

The American consumer also showed signs of stress. The University of Michigan's initial Consumer Sentiment index for September fell to 55.4, its lowest reading since May.

Gold prices surged on the expectation of Fed rate cuts. The price of gold hit a new record of $3,655 per ounce. It closed the week at $3,646.30.

Tech and Growth

The prospect of lower interest rates lifted technology stocks. This broad trend magnified several key company events.

Apple held its annual product launch on Tuesday. It unveiled the iPhone 17 and a new, thinner "iPhone Air." The market’s reaction was quiet. The stock fell 1.5% in the two days around the event. This suggests investors saw the updates as incremental and already priced in.

NVIDIA announced the Rubin CPX on Tuesday. This new GPU is designed for "massive-context processing" to handle million-token AI models. The announcement was a strategic move to define the next phase of the AI market. It was not about near-term earnings, but about reinforcing its competitive advantage.

Tesla shares jumped. The stock rose 6% on Thursday alone. The main driver was the market-wide hope for rate cuts. This helps high-growth companies like Tesla by lowering borrowing costs. News of a new pay package for CEO Elon Musk also reassured investors of his long-term focus on the company.

Broadcom’s stock rallied following its strong earnings report from September 4. The company reported record third-quarter revenue. Demand for its AI-related chips accelerated. AI revenue grew 63% year-over-year in the third quarter. Broadcom’s stock rose from around $345 to close the week near $369.

Banks and Financials

Financial companies faced a complicated week. The market celebrated potential rate cuts. But the weak economy that makes those cuts likely is a threat to banks.

Rate cuts can squeeze the net interest margins that banks rely on for profit. A weakening economy also means weaker loan demand and higher credit losses. This reality tempered performance in the financial sector, even as tech stocks soared.

Payment networks like Visa and Mastercard are tied to consumer spending. The week's sharp drop in consumer sentiment was a clear headwind for these companies. Strategically, Mastercard announced a new integration with Oracle to grow its business-to-business payment flows.

Berkshire Hathaway's recent moves signal a cautious market view. Filings showed the firm trimmed its stake in Bank of America. It continues to hold a near-record cash pile of over $340 billion. This contrasts with the market's rally and suggests a belief that valuations are high.

Consumer Goods and Healthcare

Company-specific innovation and legal wins drove performance in these defensive sectors.

Eli Lilly announced on September 8 that its cancer drug Jaypirca showed positive results in a Phase 3 trial for leukemia patients. The success moves the drug closer to use as a first-line treatment.

AbbVie stock hit a record high on Thursday. The company announced it had settled patent litigation for its immunology drug, Rinvoq. The settlement extends the drug's market exclusivity by four years to 2037. This secures billions in future revenue. The news sent the stock soaring, erasing a 1.3% loss from earlier in the week.

UnitedHealth Group gave a positive update on future earnings. The company expects 78% of its Medicare Advantage members to be in plans rated 4 stars or higher in 2026. Higher government star ratings lead to bonus payments, directly boosting revenue.

Energy and Industrials

Sectors tied to the physical economy provided a check on the market's optimism.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices rose over 1% for the week to $62.60 a barrel. This directly helped Exxon Mobil's outlook. The company also paid its third-quarter dividend of $0.99 per share on September 10.

Home Depot benefited from a sharp drop in mortgage rates. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell by the largest amount in a year. This was a direct result of the weak labor data. Lower mortgage rates can stimulate the housing market and encourage home renovation projects, which drives demand for Home Depot.

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Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️