Better-than-expected news drove the market higher this week. Inflation readings, retail sales data, unemployment claims, and consumer confidence all showed an economy that continues to outperform expectations. Investors took it from there, pushing the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ to record highs.
The overall sentiment is that the economy will continue to strengthen in the year's second half. That optimism is getting support from the kickoff to earnings season. The big banks had solid reports, and names like PepsiCo Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) and Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) have also set the stage for a broader rally.
Next week will be light on economic data, but investors will still get the latest data on new home sales and durable goods orders. Earnings season begins to ramp up with Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) being one of the first big tech stocks to report. The MarketBeat analysts will be on top of the stocks and stories moving the market. Here are some of our most popular articles from this week.
