• Recent Jobless Claims Fall - Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped to 209,000 for the week ended August 17, 2019, falling sharply from the week before.

• Brexit Crisis Still Uncertain - British lawmakers will try to stop Boris Johnson from pursuing what they cast as a “calamitous no-deal Brexit”.

• New Wave of Tariffs in Trade War - The new tariffs are a sharp escalation in the trade war, and could cost U.S. households $800 a year.

• Economy is Steady - The economy added 164,000 nonfarm payrolls in July, as expected. Wages rose 0.3% in July, or 3.2% year over year.

• Yuan Falls - The yuan fell 1.4% which breached the key 7-per-dollar level for the first time since 2008.

• HSBC CEO Out - HSBC chief John Flint is stepping down after less than two years on the job.

• Stocks Steady amid Threatened Tariffs - Stocks were steady today after the U.S. threatened a new wave of tariffs on European goods, dulling recent optimism surrounding the U.S.-China trade truce.

• GE in Decline - GE's (GE) stock decline, down by nearly two-thirds since the end of 2016, has knocked the company down to the 59th most valuable in the S&P 500.

• OPEC, Allies Extend Supply Cut - OPEC and its allies agreed to extend oil output cuts until 3/20, seeking to prop up the price of crude as the global economy weakens and U.S. production soars.

• U.S. Stock Market Futures Fall - U.S. stock index futures fell Monday, after the China and U.S. trade relationship “intensified” over the weekend.

• U.S. Inflation Ticks Up - U.S. consumer prices increased in April, which could support the Fed’s contention that recent low inflation readings were temporary and allow the Fed to keep interest rates unchanged for a while.

• Factory Activity Slows - An escalating trade war between the U.S. and China raised fears of a global economic downturn and put pressure on policymakers to roll out more stimulus.

• Trump Threatens 25% Tariff Hike - Currently, the 10% tariff on $200 billion in Chinese imports has been a “nuisance”, with many US businesses absorbing the cost.

• Job Openings Rise Sharply - U.S. job openings rebounded sharply in March, while the pace of hiring was level, pointing to a growing worker shortage that could slow employment growth this year.

• Digital Ad Revenue over $100 Billion - A new report says internet advertising revenues in the U.S. totaled $107.5 billion in 2018.

At the end of March, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the Fed's low interest rate policy is likely to remain in place a while longer to combat lingering problems in the labor market. The jobs market has been strengthening in recent months, but the unemployment rate is still high and may not fall much lower without stronger, sustainable economic growth.

Large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks enjoyed a robust quarter with returns in excess of 12%, and growth stocks outperformed value stocks across all market capitalizations. In the large-cap universe, as measured by the S&P 500, all sectors, save utilities, advanced, led by financials and information technology with returns higher than 20%.

Stocks moved higher as good earnings reports prevailed over investors' persistent worries about the European debt crisis, as well as some data suggesting a slowdown in the U.S. economic recovery. Markets started the week on a down note in reaction to a steep drop in European stocks...

The S&P 500 Index turned in its best quarterly performance since the third quarter of 2009 as the eurozone backed away from the point of collapse, the U.S. economy showed continued signs of life, and central banks pledged to step in and support global economic growth. Investors diverted assets from relatively safe but low-yielding bonds into riskier investments following last year's turmoil. Strong corporate earnings reports also bolstered U.S. equity returns.

At the end of March, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the Fed's low interest rate policy is likely to remain in place a while longer to combat lingering problems in the labor market. The jobs market has been strengthening in recent months, but the unemployment rate is still high, and it may not fall much lower without stronger, sustainable economic growth.

Despite stumbling near the end of the month, major U.S. stock indexes rose in March, adding to the gains of the first two months of 2012. The S&P 500 Index reached the 1,400 mark for the first time since May 2008, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed to its best level since the beginning of the financial crisis.