Stocks pushed higher last week as investors cheered the White House’s constructive comments on trade, upbeat Q1 corporate reports, and an encouraging jobs report.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 2.92 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 3.42 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 3.00 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, advanced 2.56 percent.

Longest Winning Streak In 20 Years

During the first two trading days, stocks increased as investors responded favorably to White House comments on tariff deals.

Then midweek—on the last day of the month—fresh data showed the economy contracted by 0.3 percent in Q1—the first decline in gross domestic product (GDP) in three years. Stocks initially fell on the news, but staged a stunning recovery to add a seventh day to the S&P 500’s and Dow Industrial’s winning streaks.

Q1 corporate reports from a couple of mega-cap tech companies boosted all three major averages over the next session, with Nasdaq leading the rise. By Thursday’s close, Nasdaq had returned to its pre-April 2 levels.

The rally accelerated on Friday as a better-than-expected April jobs report eased some concerns about the economy’s strength. Signs of a potential thaw in Washington-Beijing trade relations also boosted enthusiasm. The Dow Industrials rose for a ninth straight session, as did the S&P 500—its longest winning streak in 20 years.

Solid Jobs Report

The April jobs report showed employers added 177,000 jobs last month—34,000 more than economists expected.

The report quieted talk about a recession, which was welcomed news. The April figure also showed the economy was still adding jobs despite a sluggish Q1 GDP report. However, the strong report did prompt some traders to push out expectations for an interest rate adjustment until the Fed’s July meeting.

Monday: ISM Services Index. PMI Composite (final).

Tuesday:  Trade Deficit. FOMC meeting – Day 1.

Wednesday: FOMC meeting – Day 2. Fed Decision / Fed Chair Powell Press Conference. Consumer Credit.

Thursday: Jobless Claims. Productivity & Costs. Wholesale Inventories. Fed Balance Sheet.

Friday: Fed Officials speak: Austan Goolsbee (Chicago Fed President), John Williams (New York Fed President) and Beth Hammack (Cleveland Fed President).

Source: Econoday

Monday: Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR), Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX)

Tuesday:  Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), Arista Networks, Inc. (ANET), Duke Energy Corporation (DUK)

Wednesday: Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER), The Walt Disney Company (DIS), AppLovin Corporation (APP)

Thursday: Shopify Inc. (SHOP), ConocoPhillips (COP), McKesson Corporation (MCK)

Source:Zacks.com

Sources: YCharts.com, April 26, 2025

Weekly performance is measured from the close of trading Monday April 21, to Friday, April 25 close.

Celebrate Summer With This Fresh Salad

The weather is heating up, so cool down with this tasty, healthy, fresh watermelon salad!

Ingredients

• 5 cups of cubed watermelon
• 1 cup of diced cucumber
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 avocado, cubed
• ⅓ cup torn mint or basil leaves
• Sea salt

For the dressing

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ½ garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Arrange the watermelon, cucumber, and red onions and drizzle with half the dressing. Then, add the feta, avocado, and mint. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing. Salt to taste and serve.

Tip adapted from Love and Lemons

Curried Chickpea Sandwich

Serves: 4 Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas (you could also use a can of chickpeas)
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup arugula
• 8 slices hearty bread

Directions:

1. If you are using dried chickpeas (I recommend this method — you won’t regret it), cover the chickpeas with a couple inches of water in a large bowl. Let them sit overnight. In the morning, rinse the chickpeas, then transfer them to a large heavy-bottomed pot and cover them with with a few more inches of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 2 hours, until the chickpeas are soft.
2. In a large bowl (or a food processor), mash (or process) the chickpeas, cilantro, avocado, scallions, lime juice, curry powder, and smoked paprika.
3. To serve, spread the chickpea mixture on a slice of bread. Top with arugula, a couple tomato slices, and a second piece of bread. Cut your sandwich in half and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food52

Driver

The driver is used on a majority of holes, especially if there is no trouble in play (water, out of bounds, etc). A driver is used 99% of the time off the tee and rarely from the fairway.

Make it a goal to use a driver as often as possible… why?

Because the longer you hit it off the tee, the shorter your distance into the green. Which leads to lower scoring averages on the hole.

Now that we have so much data from the PGA tour and Arccos Golf, one thing is clear – distance is everything. Longer distances off the tee correlate to lower handicaps.

Tip adapted from theleftrough.com

Not All Third-Party Payroll Service Providers Are Equal

Be sure to ask your payroll company how it handles payroll tax. A business needs to pick this service wisely because failing to do so could contravene IRS guidelines.

To avoid missed deposits for employment taxes and other important bills, here are some choices to help ensure business owners have a trusted payroll service:

• Use a certified professional employer organization.
• Use a reporting agent.
• Enroll in the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) to ensure your payroll service providers use EFTPS to max tax deposits. This free platform gives employers quick access to their payment history for deposits under their EIN.

This information is not a substitute for individualized tax advice. Please discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax professional.

Tip adapted from IRS

Photo of the Week

Motukorea Island

Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand

Financial planning and investment advisory services offered through Cleveland Wealth, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified wealth advisor and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.