Timing our weekly blog is always an interesting challenge. Writing on Friday gives us a chance to reflect on the week’s market activity (and me the weekend off from worrying about writing it), but it also comes with the risk of missing developments over the weekend. Monday, on the other hand, allows for a broader perspective and a chance to incorporate any shifts in sentiment (and also fills my start of the week with angst about hitting a writing deadline😉) Markets move fast, and how we interpret them can change just as quickly. Some weeks, missing a self-imposed deadline can work in our favor, as was the case this week (at least for the sentiment if not the angst). Friday’s market mood was notably somber, but by Monday morning, futures were pointing to a strong rebound, highlighting how quickly things can shift (ditto can be said about the weather here in Philly, which is gorgeous this Monday).

Market sentiment plays a role in how we frame our discussions. While our investment strategy is rooted in discipline and structure, our blog offers space for both data-driven insights and a more human touch (aka behavior). Some of our readers prefer a focus on hard numbers and performance updates, while others appreciate the blend of market analysis with long-term strategy and real-life reflections. Balancing these elements is key, ensuring we remain informative without becoming overly reactive to short-term movements. This week, a little more of the market…

Market Recap: A Tale of Two Moods

Friday’s Market Performance

• Equities:
  • S&P 500: -1.71%
  • Nasdaq: -2.2%
  • Dow Jones: -1.69%
  • Russell 2000: -2.9%
• Sectors:
  • Consumer discretionary and technology were the hardest hit (-2.5%+).
  • Defensive sectors like consumer staples outperformed.
• Fixed Income:
  • Treasury bonds rallied as investors sought safety.
  • 10-Year Treasury Yield dropped to 4.43%.
  • 30-Year Yield ended at 4.68%, and the 2-Year Yield settled at 4.2%.
• Corporate News:
  • United Healthcare dropped 7% amid a new Medicare billing investigation.
  • Hims & Hers fell 26% on FDA news impacting their weight-loss drug alternatives.
  • Alibaba surged 6% due to strong cloud and e-commerce results.
• Global Markets:
  • Europe’s Stoxx 600 rose 0.52%.
  • Asia’s Hang Seng Index soared 3.9% on Alibaba’s rally.
• Commodities & Crypto:
  • WTI crude fell back near $70 per barrel.
  • Gold dipped to $2,936 per ounce.
  • Bitcoin dropped 3% to $95,392.
  • The VIX (fear index) popped 2.5%, finishing at just over 18.

Monday’s Market Mood Shift

• Dow futures are up over 300 points, signaling a rebound.
• Berkshire Hathaway reported a 71% YoY earnings increase, with a massive $334B cash balance.
• German elections saw a mainstream conservative victory, adding stability to European markets.
• Asian markets were mixed, with Japan’s Nikkei up 0.27%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng cooled off (-0.58%).
• The U.S. dollar remains flat, and Bitcoin is down 0.88%.

Long-Term Thinking in a Short-Term Market

At Members’ Wealth, we don’t allow short-term market movements to dictate our investment decisions. Our approach is built on rationality, structure, and a proactive strategy, ensuring that our portfolios are designed with long-term success in mind. Markets will always fluctuate, and news cycles will create waves of optimism and pessimism, but staying anchored in well-crafted trade plans allows us to act decisively when necessary, rather than reacting emotionally.

That being said, our blog serves as a place for reflection, providing both strategic insights and market context. We aim to strike the right balance between bullish and bearish perspectives, long-term vision and short-term sentiment, and technical analysis and relatable insights. This dynamic approach allows us to stay connected with the financial landscape while offering valuable takeaways for our readers.

Looking ahead, we continue to weigh the best timing for these updates. Perhaps a Friday draft (when I bring my A-game to deadline discipline) with a Monday review (aka when I am slacking a tad) is the best of both worlds, allowing us to capture the end-of-week market mood while incorporating weekend developments. Whatever the case, our commitment remains the same: to deliver insights that help you stay informed and aligned with your financial goals.

Final Thought

Markets will always ebb and flow (as will the persistence of my willpower and accountability), and sentiment will shift, but sound investment strategies remain rooted in discipline, long-term thinking, and an understanding that short-term fluctuations are just noise. Whether we publish on Friday or Monday, our focus is on providing clarity in an ever-changing financial world. Our goal isn’t to react to headlines but to help you navigate them with confidence and foresight (and to hold me accountable for not only the blog but for steering Members’ Wealth to help all of our families achieve their goals!).

Investment advisory services offered through Member's Wealth, LLC, a registered investment advisor. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The S&P 500 index is designed to be a broad based unmanaged leading indicator of U.S. equities and is meant to reflect the risk/return characteristics of the large cap universe or representative of the equity market in general. The National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) is an American stock market that handles electronic securities trading around the world. The Russell 2000 index is an index measuring the performance of approximately 2,000 small-cap companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which is made up of 3,000 of the biggest U.S. stocks. The Russell 2000 serves as a benchmark for small-cap stocks in the United States. Visit www.russell.com/indexes/ for more information regarding Russell indices. The MSCI EAFE Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the US & Canada. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index, is a broad base, market capitalization-weighted bond market index representing intermediate term investment grade bonds traded in the United States.

About the Author – Dane Czaplicki, CFA®

Dane Czaplicki is CEO of Members’ Wealth, a boutique wealth management firm that offers a comprehensive approach to serving individuals, families, business owners, and institutions. The firm’s goal is to preserve and grow its clients’ wealth to endure over time, while thoughtfully evolving its strategy to suit an ever-changing world. With over 20 years of wealth management experience, Dane and the Members' Wealth team thrive on bringing clarity and confidence to clients' unique situations. He believes everyone needs sound financial advice from someone whose interests are aligned with theirs, and is determined to put service before all else.

Dane received his MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, hiking and camping, reading, running, and playing with his dog. To learn more about Dane, connect with him on LinkedIn.

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