Stocks Finish Strong Quarter With 5th-Straight Monthly Gains
Despite facing some volatility, the S&P 500 wrapped its best quarter since 2019 with daily, weekly, and monthly gains, including a record close today. The same can be said for the Dow, which notched its best quarterly performance since 2021 and its fifth-straight positive month.
While the tech-heavy Nasdaq extended a monthly win streak of its own and logged a stellar quarter, it settled below breakeven and fell for the week. The market will be closed tomorrow to observe Good Friday, but investors will be keeping an eye on the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) index that is still due out.
GOLD, OIL PRICES SEE GAINS ACROSS THE BOARD
Oil prices snapped a three-day losing streak on Thursday, and also nabbed a third-straight monthly win and a 16% quarterly gain. Crude production cuts and a smaller-than-expected jump in crude inventories contributed to the results. May-dated West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose $1.82, or 1.3%, to finish at $82.42 per barrel for the day. The commodity added 0.6% for the week and 6.3% in March.
Gold prices settled higher as well, notching their best month in roughly one year and a quarterly gain in the process, thanks to strong demand and the prospect of interest rate cuts. June-dated gold rose $25.70, or 1.1%, to settle at $2,238.40 per ounce on the day. For the week, the yellow metal gained 1.8%.
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