Despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and rising oil prices, stock markets have reached all-time highs. It seems investors have been able to look past the short-term noise and focus on the fundamentals. But are there other risks on the horizon?
May 4, 2026
In April, the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq all surged, driven by earnings growth and a risk-on sentiment for investors. Further, the economic updates released during the month were largely positive. The initial estimate of Q1 GDP growth came in at 2 percent annualized, up from 0.5 percent at the end of last year. The economy also added a solid 178,000 jobs in March, the strongest month of hiring in over a year. On the consumer front, we saw signs of stabilizing sentiment and solid spending growth.
