May 2025 Market Snapshot
Rosemeyer Management Group
May in Review
| Index | 1 Month | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 4.16% | 0.08% |
| Standard & Poor’s 500 Average | 6.29% | 1.06% |
| Russell 2000 (Small Cap Index) | 5.34% | -6.85% |
| Total U.S. Stock Market | 6.40% | 0.59% |
| MSCI ACWI ex USA (Intl. Index) | 4.58% | 14.03% |
| Barclay’s U.S. Agg. Bond Index | -0.72% | 2.45% |
Looking Forward: What’s Ahead for Q3 & Beyond
Following a volatile start to 2025, investor fears seemed to have eased with the prospects of U.S. trade deals coming on the horizon. The current administration has touted trade deals in the offing with nearly all major U.S. trading partners. With that being said, investor patience may wane if the promised trade deals do not come to fruition as expected. Equity and fixed income investors alike will be paying close attention to the policy outlook of the Federal Reserve. The Fed finds itself caught between competing risk of sticky inflation, slowing economic growth, and fiscal concerns. The good news is that inflation has continued to cool to start 2025, and the expected inflation from tariffs has not yet materialized. However, if the Fed drops interest rates too quickly it could add fuel to the fire if prices do spike.
Furthermore, the current tax and spending bill working its way through Congress looms over Fed decisions as well. A potential for a rising federal deficit could make an interest rate cut more imperative to lessen the cost of servicing the Federal debt load. Markets will likely continue to be “jumpy” on news one way or the other.