Stocks Down On Friday, But Up For The Month, And Stellar Gains YTD

Plus 5 New Strong Buys for Today Stocks Down On Friday, But Up For The Month, And Stellar Gains YTD [Kevin Matras - EVP - Photo] Profit from the Pros By Kevin Matras Executive Vice President Stocks Down On Friday, But Up For The Month, And Stellar Gains YTD [Stocks Down On Friday, But Up For The Month, And Stellar Gains YTD]Image: Bigstock Stocks closed lower on Friday, and for the week. But they are up for the month. And YTD, the Dow is up an impressive 14.1%, the S&P is up 17.0%, and the Nasdaq is up 13.9%. It was a bit disappointing to see a few big names turn lower on Friday, even after strong earnings reports. But, of course, stocks don't always go straight up all the time. Nevertheless, earnings season is off to a fantastic start. And we'll get another 1,915 companies reporting this week. And another 1,322 on deck for next week. It was also a bit disappointing last week to see Q2 GDP come in under expectations at 6.5% vs. views for 8.0%. But as I mentioned last week, while supply chain disruptions and worker shortages have been cited as reasons for temporarily higher levels of inflation, they are also partly to blame for the less than expected Q2 growth. But again, these issues are transitory. With extended unemployment benefits scheduled to end in September, and many of those who were incentivized to stay home now being 'forced' to return to work, that will begin to bring relief to both supply shortages and worker shortages while simultaneously easing inflation concerns as well. Traders will be closely watching Friday's Employment Situation report. It's possible we could see a lighter than expected read there, as we did with Q2 GDP, for the same reasons. But that just suggests an explosive Q4. The fact of the matter is we are still in the midst of history in the making. And historic times typically usher in historic price moves. 2020, 2021, and 2022 are years people will likely look back on and marvel at what took place in both the economy and the market. So make sure you're taking full advantage of it. See you tomorrow, [Kevin Matras - Signature] Kevin Matras Executive Vice President, Zacks Investment Research Sponsor [What is OneGold?]( Savvy investors know there is a way to beat a portfolio of 75% in stocks and 25% bonds with less volatility. You might be surprised to know that adding this single asset to a portfolio has enhanced returns for over 20 years. [See What Your Portfolio is Missing?]( Most Popular Articles from Zacks.com [Read this article]( Image: Bigstock [Apparel Sales Jumps to Pandemic-Era High: 4 Winners]( Consumer spending on apparel has increased as people have finally got a chance to step out of their homes and plan for the holidays. [Read More »]( [Read this article]( Image: Shutterstock [2 Highly-Ranked Stocks to Buy in August and Hold]( Here are two high-ranked Zacks stocks that have climbed to new highs in July that investors might want to buy in August. [Read More »]( [Read this article]( Image: Bigstock [U.S. Economy Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Level: 5 Top Picks]( These stocks have strong growth potential for 2021 and each sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). [Read More »]( [Read this article]( Image: Bigstock [Is Big Tech Growth Really Decelerating?]( The market's Amazon disappointment follows somewhat similar attitudes towards results from Apple and Microsoft. [Read More »]( [Read this article]( Image: Shutterstock [Try Dividend Aristocrat ETFs to Fight Rising Delta Variant Woes]( Dividend aristocrats are likely to perform well and are attractive investment options for an impressive finish to 2021. [Read More »]( Sponsor [Today, See Zacks' Top Stocks for Free]( Starting now, you can get instant access to the latest picks from our hottest market-beating strategies. From 2016 through 2020 they gained +381.1%, +424.1%, +429.0%, +477.8%, and even +580.0%. Zacks will also give you a free Special Report, Top 10 Stock Screening Strategies with formulas you can use to find high-potential gainers anytime you please. [See Stocks Free »]( [Read this article]( Image: Bigstock [Bull of the Day: AdvanSix (ASIX)]( This specialty chemical company has the right mix. [Read More »]( [Read this article]( [New Zacks Strong Buys for August 2nd]( Here are 5 stocks added to the Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) List today. [Read More »]( Download our app for convenient on-the-go access to even more—daily and weekly newsletters published by Zacks experts, proprietary research and tools, and Portfolio Tracker on Zacks.com. [Download our Zacks App for Apple iOS]( [Download our Zacks App for Android]( Visit [Success Stories]( to hear how Zacks research, tools and portfolios help our members outperform the market. Get all of our market insights and much more when you connect with us. [Visit Zacks on Facebook]( [Follow Zacks on Twitter]( [See Zacks videos on YouTube]( [Join Zacks on LinkedIn]( [Read Zacks Commentary on StockTwits]( This free resource is being sent by [Zacks.com](. We look for investment resources and inform you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms of Service". [www.zacks.com/terms_of_service]( Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. The Zacks #1 Rank Performance covers the period beginning on January 1, 1988 through June 28, 2021. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank #1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit [( for information about the performance numbers displayed above. Zacks Emails If you would prefer to not receive future profit-producing emails from [Zacks.com]( the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service, then please [click here]( and confirm your request. If you have trouble with the unsubscribe link, please email support@zacks.com. Zacks Investment Research 10 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1600 Chicago, IL 60606