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Did Financial Markets Just Stage a Major Comeback? Last Week Ended with a Surge in Stocks, Gold, and Global Optimism

U.S. stocks rallied sharply last week, with the S&P 500 posting its biggest gain in years.
Strong earnings and solid job growth fueled investor confidence.
Global markets followed suit, with Europe hitting record streaks and Asia stabilizing.
Gold surged to all-time highs, while bond yields rose and oil prices dipped slightly.

📈 U.S. Equities

U.S. stock markets surged in the final week of April 2025, with the S&P 500 climbing for the ninth straight session—its strongest such streak in years, gaining nearly 10%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite also posted solid gains. Investor sentiment was boosted by better-than-expected corporate earnings from major tech companies like Microsoft and Meta, along with strong labor market data showing an increase of 177,000 nonfarm payrolls in April.


🌍 Global Markets

European markets followed suit, with the UK's FTSE 100 closing higher for the fifteenth consecutive trading day—its longest winning streak on record. Eurozone GDP growth came in stronger than expected, further bolstering investor confidence. In Asia, the Japanese Nikkei 225 experienced some volatility due to lowered growth and inflation forecasts by the Bank of Japan, though optimism around U.S.–China trade negotiations helped offset concerns.


💵 Bonds and Commodities

U.S. Treasury yields rose in response to the upbeat jobs data, signaling expectations of continued economic strength. However, market participants still expect the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates steady amid persistent inflation concerns.

Gold prices soared more than 20% during the week, reaching all-time highs as investors sought safe-haven assets. Oil prices edged lower despite supply concerns, while bond prices remained under pressure due to rising yields.


📊 ETF Market Snapshot (as of Friday close)

  • SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): $566.76

  • Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ): $488.83

  • SPDR Dow Jones ETF (DIA): $413.04

  • iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM): $200.48

  • iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA): $86.10

  • iShares Emerging Markets ETF (EEM): $45.00

  • iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG): $97.95

  • iShares 20+ Year Treasury ETF (TLT): $87.73

  • SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD): $297.98

  • U.S. Oil Fund (USO): $64.01

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