Strong Opening Move: New Month To Feature Jobs Report, Slew Of Earnings

Strong Opening Move: New Month To Feature Jobs Report, Slew Of Earnings

If you follow the financial markets, that thinking might be jumping the gun, as there's still plenty of action ahead. Although last week was arguably the height of earnings season, with releases from four of the five FAANGs, plus Microsoft MSFT (MSFT) and other top-tier companies across the sectors, this week will still be quite busy with earnings. Plus, Friday marks the day when the monthly employment report is released. Some analysts see this one as a potential watershed report, considering several Fed governors—including Chair Powell—have said the central bank plans to tie any potential policy changes to employment growth. More on that below. Would the market close higher for the sixth consecutive month? That was the thought that was probably going through most investors' minds on Friday. And from the way stocks performed on Thursday and early Friday, there was likely some concern that it wouldn't. But in the end, the market made it. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DJI) was up 1. 25%, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) up 2. 3%, and the Nasdaq NDAQ Composite (COMP:GIDS) up 1. 2% for July. That's in spite of a lower close for the day and week for all three indices.