Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Ragan Gootee

There's been plenty of motion to evaluate of late, but if we boil it down, there are two primary factors quarterbacking the financial markets: the labor market and inflation.

That said, in our latest Weekly Market Wrap, we highlight a few trends playing out that, while getting less fanfare at the moment, we believe offer additional signals about the state of the market.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

This past week investors digested key datapoints around the U.S. jobs market, all of which presented a unified message: There are early signs of softening in the labor market ahead. While one month does not make a trend, the consistency of the data recently points to a labor market that may be coming back to earth after an extended period of elevated tightness.

We share two important implications of a potentially cooling labor market and more key takeaways in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

After a remarkably strong rally to start the year, markets have given back a bit in August thus far, with the S&P 500 down around 3% since its recent high on July 31. Underneath the surface, however, we see the Nasdaq is down over 4.0% during this period, and the "Magnificent 7" large-cap stocks are down over 5.0%.

The parts of the market that have led the way higher are now perhaps taking a breather, which we view as a healthy development as investors digest outsized gains. Take a closer look at the rest of our key takeaways in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

While the move higher in markets was sparked earlier by the enthusiasm around artificial intelligence, the markets more recently seem to be looking at a trifecta of better macro trends. The Fed and other global central banks may be nearing an end to rate hikes, inflation continues to gradually moderate and growth remains resilient.

After a nice move higher in markets, some bouts of volatility remain likely. However, we believe there are compelling opportunities still ahead of us, in both the equity and bond markets. Read more in our latest Weekly Market Wrap.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.

Last week closed the books on the first half of 2023. Markets logged a strong performance year-to-date, though gains so far may have flown somewhat under the radar for some investors given the lingering scars of 2022. In our latest Weekly Market Wrap, we share perspectives on first half moves and what they signal for what may lay ahead in the second half.

Weekly market wrap A summary of last week's market highlights and economic news.