Stocks saw weekly, monthly, and quarterly gains
Despite a rocky start to the week, which saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) registering its longest losing streak since September, all three major benchmarks finished the second quarter with strong weekly, monthly, and quarterly gains. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's hawkish comments before the European Central Bank (ECB) were a focal point, as he hinted at possible back-to-back rate hikes. Thursday and Friday brought positive economic data, with a gross domestic product (GDP) revision and inflation data boosting investor sentiment.
Semiconductor Stocks This Week
Chip stocks stayed in focus amid artificial intelligence (AI) buzz. Several sector members moved lower after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration is looking into restricting sales of AI chips to China, causing Nvidia (NVDA) to slip further from recent record highs. Micron Technology (MU) announced a strong fiscal third-quarter earnings report this week, though the shares moved lower after the event. Meanwhile, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is flashing a bull signal on the charts.
In Other News
Lucid Group (LCID) stock surged after the electric vehicle (EV) name penned a deal with Aston Martin, while Enovix (ENVX) enjoyed a boost after the U.S. Army's big purchase order. Joby Aviation (JOBY) also entered the spotlight this week, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved flight testing of its air taxi. In analyst news, Moderna (MRNA) and Pinterest (PINS) both scored upgrades this week, while Walt Disney (DIS) saw a downgrade on multiple potential headwinds.
Week of Independence Day
For the few full days that the market is open next week, there is plenty of economic indicators due out, including employment data. The S&P 500 has done well historically over 4th of July week, though it might be a good time to avoid the oil and gas sector, per Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White. In the meantime, here are some technical levels to watch, according to Schaeffer's Senior Vice President of Research Todd Salamone.