If there has been one common uniting factor this February, it has to be volatility. The markets have steadily risen since the surprise election of Donald Trump.
The gains continued this month but bounced between losses and higher highs as traders tried to gauge just how effective President Trump will be. With the last full week of the month closing in, traders will get to see if any of Trump’s policies have started to pay off.
And that’s because we’ll get a ton of economic data this week. We’ll see the release of key economic metrics in manufacturing, consumer, labor and housing. So far, data has been mixed and has painted a moderately bullish picture of the economy. At month end, traders will be looking to see if that trend continues.
As for earnings, the so-called season of quarterly reports is finally wrapping up. However, the last week of February will feature one final push. They’ll be plenty of bellwethers reporting. For the most part, companies have been surprising to the upside but still offering caution about their guidance figures.
All in all, the final week of the month could bring more of the same – as in volatility – to the markets.
