Commentary

The markets in the United States moved marginally higher this week, with the Nasdaq leading the group and the Russell 2000 index seeing the least gains. Better than expected earnings helped send the major indexes near their five-year highs early during the week, but the lackluster report from Wells Fargo has cast a shadow on the banking sector, as the first bank to report earnings. Looking ahead, investors are also growing increasingly nervous about the flu season’s impact on economic output.

Global markets were largely mixed during the week, too. The Nikkei 225 surged over 1% following Shinzo Abe’s new stimulus package, while the FTSE 100 rose 0.5% and the DAX fell just under 1% during the week. Traders will be closely watching Japan’s economy given the $116 billion stimulus program that was just signed into law, which could boost domestic stocks and help its economy recover from ...