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The wild week in markets continued on Thursday as stocks sold-off as news of a government shutdown sent stocks tumbling to new lows and added to list of worries on Wall Street. We saw follow through selling from the previous session where the Fed hikes rates, as the Dow fell -1.99%, the S&P 500 declined -1.58 and the Nasdaq was lower by -1.63%.

It was a down day for markets as the Dow dove 350 points, making a new yearly low on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates a quarter of a point to a range of 2.25% to 2.50%. Overall the Dow fell -1.49%, the S&P 500 declined -1.54% and the Nasdaq saw the brunt of the selling down -2.17%.

Investors grappled in choppy trading trying to wrestle onto gains on Tuesday as the major indexes traded in positive territory for most of the day before selling off putting them in the red and rallying late into the close. At the close the Dow finished +0.35%, the S&P 500 +0.01% and the Nasdaq rose +0.45%.

It seems Santa may not be coming this year for the markets as equities continued their tumble on Monday as the Dow tanked 500 points as investors continued to focus on economic growth concerns going into the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision on Thursday morning. Losses were extended across the board and led by Real Estate and Utilities. The Dow finished down -2.11%, the S&P 500 fell -2.08% and the Nasdaq fell -2.27%.

U.S equities fell sharply on Friday as weaker than expected economic data from China and Europe added to the climate of doom and gloom in the markets. Fears of weakening economic growth, falling oil prices and asbestos in baby powder were some of the headlines circulating on Friday. The Dow tumbled 500 points or -2.02%, the S&P 500 fell -1.91% and the Nasdaq declined -2.26%.

U.S markets finished stronger on Wednesday as a series of comments regarding trade gave investors a more optimistic tone for the day. All major U.S indices rose with the Dow +0.64%, the S&P 500 +0.54% and the Nasdaq +0.95%.

Stocks had another choppy trading session on Tuesday as the major U.S indexes sold off before a short lived rally after lunch closing in negative territory after President Trump threatened of a government shutdown as disagreements over funding in relation to the U.S-Mexico border wall arose. The Dow fell 53 points or -0.22%, the S&P 500 finished flat -0.04% and the Nasdaq finished higher by 0.16%.

U.S equities finished in positive territory on Monday, starting the week off on progressive note as the major indexes rallied from the sessions lows due to continued uncertainty regarding Britain’s exit from the European Union clouded investors. Markets have been caught in the headwinds as a handful of global issues continue to dominate the headlines – U.S-China trade tensions, a slowdown in economic growth and interest rate expectations to name a few.  Theresa May added to the list after delaying a parliamentary vote on the Brexit deal – the British Pound (GBPUSD) fell -1.60% against the U.S dollar to a low $1.2505 and is now currently trading higher at $1.2561. See GBPUSD chart below.

U.S equities suffered a sharp decline in Friday’s trading session as a 500 point tumble in the Dow wrapped up what was a wild week on Wall Street. At the close the Dow fell -2.24%, the S&P 500 fell -2.33% and the Nasdaq declined -3.05% following broad based selling across all major U.S indexes and was led by declines in the major tech companies.

Ongoing weakness in US equities makes the underlying tone seriously negative, especially heading into 2019.