Market Report, 2026-08-07

Stocks had an incredible run this week, fueled by expectations for a less hawkish Fed following a weak jobs report, encouraging results as a strong corporate earnings season entered its final stretch, and a significant easing of the geopolitical risk premium tied to the conflict in Iran.

The Dow gained nearly 3% this week, closing at 54,037. The Nasdaq rallied almost 4% to 26,691, while the S&P 500 finished at 7,758—up 3.58% from the prior week’s close. Technology led the way with a 7.2% gain. Returns of that magnitude have historically been rare, though they’re gradually becoming more common. Energy was the weakest sector, falling 3.44%.

The bond market also posted meaningful gains as inflation concerns eased. The five-year U.S. Treasury yield fell 11 basis points from last week, while the 10-year yield declined 10 basis points to 4.65%. Gold also staged a strong comeback, rising nearly $250 per ounce and finishing just below $4,400.

Turning to this week’s economic data, sector surveys, business reports, and broader indicators generally pointed to stability. However, today’s jobs report revealed significant weakness in the labor market. While the unemployment rate declined from 4.2% to 4.1%, that was due to fewer people in the labor force. More concerning, U.S. payrolls declined in July, and the totals from the previous two months were also revised sharply lower.

Counterintuitively, that weakness gave stocks another reason to rally. Weaker wage growth signaled that inflation is not being pushed by wage increases; combined with falling gas prices, inflation concerns are easing. The fed funds futures are now indicating the Federal Reserve might put off the interest rate hike that had been expected in September.

Next week brings important inflation data for both consumers and producers, so Adams Wealth Advisors will be back to break down the results and share our perspective.