Wednesday was a good day for the Dow as the index finished up triple digits. Goldman Sachs and IBM contributed the most to gains. Oil also closed at a 2016 high, rising above $49 per barrel. Energy, materials and financials traded more than 1 percent higher.

It’s been the best two day performance for the Dow since the beginning of last month. The Dow is up over 358 points over the last two days.

Despite the recent up tick in the S&P 500, Todd Gordon founder of TradingAnalysis.com told CNBC’s “Trading Nation” this rally is ‘false.’ See more below.

Here are the final numbers from Wednesday, May 25th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,851.51  (+145.46 / +0.82 %)

NASDAQ: 4,894.89 (+33.83/ +0.70 %)

S&P 500: 2,090.54  (+14.48/ +0.70%)

It was a good day for new homes sales and that had a positive effect on the market. The Dow finished up triple digits and the NASDAQ closed up 2% as the financial and tech sectors had good days too. New home sales jumped over 16.5% as Toll Bros. exceeded analysts expectations.

Oil also traded about 1 percent higher, closing at $48.50 a barrel.
Katie Stockton, chief technical strategist at BTIG, said today-

“We think U.S. equities will have an upward bias this week, supported by short-term positive divergences, but we expect resistance at the April highs to remain largely intact.”

Meanwhile there was word today that Bank of America’s $1.27 billion dollar fine, over mail and wire fraud charges against Countrywide Mortgage has been overturned. See more below.

Here are the final numbers from Tuesday, May 24th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,706.05  (+213.12 / +1.22 %)

NASDAQ: 4,861.06 (+95.27/ +2.00 %)

S&P 500: 2,076.06  (+28.02/ +1.37%)

After a volatile past couple of days, markets tried to salvage a win on the last trading day of the week. Financial stocks were among the issues that advanced as the major averages attempted to recoup some of the losses for the week after falling amid renewed concerns of a Fed interest rate hike sooner rather than later…possibly even June. Oil finished the week up 4% to close at $48 a barrel, off a six-month high of $49.85 reached two days ago.

The Dow has now posted its first 4 week losing streak since 2014.

Meanwhile according to CNBC:  “Signs of Fear are Running Rampant through the Market.”

• Goldman Sachs says Hedge funds are at their lowest net long position in four years, at 44 percent, after hitting a record long of 57% in early 2015
• Money is draining again from equity funds after a period of reversal.  $100 billion has left the funds this year alone, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
• According to the latest American Association of Individual Investors survey, optimism is at its lowest level since mid-February and only the ninth time since 1990 that optimism fell below the 20 percent mark. (It’s currently at 19.4%)

Read the entire story here.

Watch more below.

Here are the final numbers from Friday, May 20th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,500.94  (+65.54 / +0.38 %)

NASDAQ: 4,769.56 (+57.03/ +1.21 %)

S&P 500: 2,052.32  (+12.28/ +0.60%)

Despite surprisingly strong retail sales figures from Walmart & The Gap today , the markets suffered across the board losses. It comes on the one year anniversary of the Dow’s last record high: (May 19, 2015- 18,312)

History says the stock market is not likely to hit a new record high anytime soon.

Read more here.

There are some very real concerns about the Fed upping interest rates next Month, which have caused the markets to drop over the last couple of days. See more from UBS’ Art Cashin below.

Here are the final numbers from Thursday, May 19th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,435.40  (-91.22 / -0.52 %)

NASDAQ: 4,712.53 (-26.59/ -0.56 %)

S&P 500: 2,040.04  (-07.59/ -0.37%)

The market volatility from the last two days continued on Wall Street with the release of the latest minutes from the U.S. central bank‘s April policy meeting. After being up by 100 points midday, the Dow quickly dropped into red figures following the release of the Fed’s April minutes.

According to the minutes:

“Most participants judged that if incoming data were consistent with economic growth picking up in the second quarter, labor markets continued to strengthen, and inflation making progress toward the committee’s 2 percent objective, then it likely would be appropriate for the committee to increase the target range for the federal funds rate in June.“

See complete Fed minutes from April 2016 here.

Essentially the Federal Reserve said at their April meeting that it will likely raise interest rates in June if economic data points to stronger second-quarter growth & employment, so it appears the central bank is much closer to raising rates again than Wall Street expects. At its April meeting, the Fed kept its target rate in a range of 0.25 percent to 0.50 percent. The Fed raised rates in December for the first time in nearly a decade.

Here are the final numbers from Wednesday, May 18th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,526.62  (-3.36 / -0.02 %)

NASDAQ: 4,739.12 (+23.39/ +0.50 %)

S&P 500: 2,047.63  (+00.42/ +0.02%)

There’s an old adage that aptly applies to Wall Street these last two days:

“The market taketh and the market givith away!” 

Yesterday the markets gained 1%- Today they lost 1% as the S&P 500 has now given back all of its “year to date” gains with its worst day since April.

Tuesday was an anxious day on Wall St. for investors as the Dow finished down triple digits, erasing all of yesterday’s gains. Today’s off-day came in advance of tomorrow’s release of the latest Fed minutes that may shed some light on what the FOMC might do with interest rates in the near term.  San Francisco Fed president John Williams and Atlanta Fed president Dennis Lockhart said in a Reuters report that the FOMC could still raise rates two or three times this year. Neither are voting members of the Fed.

The attention definitely will be on Fed Chair Janet Yellen who is scheduled to speak June 6th at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia.

See more analysis on today’s market action from CNBC below.

Here are the final numbers from Tuesday, May 17th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,529.98  (-180.73 / -1.02 %)

NASDAQ: 4,715.73  (-59.73/ -1.25 %)

S&P 500: 2,047.21  (-19.45/ -0.94%)

The Monday markets got a big boost from Apple as the computer giant rebounded sharply today adding nearly 4%-it’s best day since March.  The Dow finished up triple digits while the NASDAQ added 57. Apple’s gain was part of an overall improvement in tech stocks.  Energy issues also saw improvement as the price of oil hit new highs for 2016. Oil settled up $1.51 at $47.72 a barrel, its highest level since November, 2015.

JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD Ameritrade said:

“I think Apple and oil are really overshadowing everything else.”

The question facing many investors: “Is it time to short stocks?” See more below.

Here are the final numbers from Monday, May 16th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,710.71  (+175.39 / +1.00 %)

NASDAQ: 4,775.46  (+57.78/ +1.22 %)

S&P 500: 2,066.66  (+20.05/ +0.98%)

Friday the 13th was an unlucky day for Wall Street today as the Dow gave back most year to date gains. The Dow Jones industrial average briefly fell more than 200 points at one point in afternoon trading, with Goldman Sachs, Boeing, 3M and Wal-Mart contributing the most to declines. The Dow and S&P 500 have now posted their first 3 week losing streak since January.

Lance Roberts, chief investment strategist at Clarity Financial, said about today’s losses on Wall Street:

“I’m not sure investors and traders even know what they are looking at right now. I think they are more concerned about not being out of the market because of the Fed. Everybody is pretty confident at this point the Fed may not raise interest rates in June.”

Art Cashin, Director of Floor Operations for UBS Financial Services appeared on CNBC with his analysis of today’s volatile market. Watch below.

Here are the final numbers from Friday, May 13th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,535.327  (-185.18 / -1.05 %)

NASDAQ: 4,717.68  (-19.66 / -0.41 %)

S&P 500: 2,046.61  (-17.50/ -0.85%)

Stocks finished the day mostly lower on declines in health care and technology stocks, as Apple fell to a level not seen in nearly 2 years. The retail sector also took another hit as Nordstrom stock fell 14% on disappointing 1st quarter earnings. Today’s market news was also highlighted by comments from the President of the Kansas City Federal Bank Esther George who said interest rates are too low for the current U.S. economy and backs gradual rate hikes, adding that low rates can create economic risks.

George said-

“I support a gradual adjustment of short-term interest rates toward a more normal level, but I view the current level as too low for today’s economic conditions. The economy is at or near full employment, and inflation is close to the FOMC’s target of 2 percent, yet short-term interest rates remain near historic lows.”

Ester George’s comments came after Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren said markets are “underestimating the pace of potential hikes”, and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester added that “uncertainty should not prevent the Fed from acting on policy changes.”

Meantime some analysts say that many of the nation’s big retailers are worried about a recession following yesterday’s huge drop in the retail sector.
See below.

Here are the final numbers from Thursday, May 12th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,722.07  (+10.95 / +0.06 %)

NASDAQ: 4,737.33  (-23.35 / -0.49 %)

S&P 500: 2,064.11 (-0.35/ -0.02%)

Following yesterday’s advances on Wall Street where the Dow Jones Industrial average gained 222 points (thanks to a rally in financial shares), the Dow gave back much of those gains due to poor corporate earnings reports.  The Dow lost over 200 points due mostly to disappointing first quarter earnings from retail heavyweights: Disney, Macy’s, Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Nike. In total the retail sector dropped 4%, tracking for it’s worst day in 5 years since 2011.

Kate Warne, investment strategist at Edward Jones said-

“Stocks are down due to worries about consumer spending, which has been the mainstay of economic growth through this whole expansion.”

Investors are now looking ahead to presumptive GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump’s meeting with the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan tomorrow to see if anything can be sniffed out into a possible economic plan from a President Trump.  Ryan has so far refused to endorse Trump for President.

See more from CNBC as to why the Dow was down over 1% today.

Here are the final numbers from Wednesday, May 11th on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,711.12  (-217.23 / -1.21 %)

NASDAQ: 4,760.69  (-49.19 / -1.02 %)

S&P 500: 2,064.46 (-19.93/ -0.96%)