With Wall Street investors hesitant, fresh data in the coming week could help provide a clearer picture of whether the US economy is in recovery mode or an extended downward spiral.
Inconsistent reports in the past week contributed to volatility on the stock market, leaving the main indexes mixed.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 blue-chip shares fell 1.09 percent in the week to Friday, to end at 11,370.69, while the broad-market Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost a modest 0.23 percent to 1,257.76.
The technology-laden NASDAQ composite meanwhile rose 1.22 percent for the week to 2,310.53.
The market saw choppy trade in recent sessions, lifted by lower crude oil prices and hints of an economic rebound, but falling back on indications that a recovery is faltering, as occurred after a disappointing report on existing home sales.
US existing home sales fell to a 10-year low last month, according to industry data that depressed market sentiment. But that was tempered by a more modest decline in new home sales of 0.6 percent that raised hopes for a “bottom” to the housing slump, and by solid gains in orders for durable manufactured goods.
In the coming week, the picture may become clearer with the first estimate of US GDP in the April-June quarter.
Bonds fell on the week. The yield on the 10-year Treasury bond edged up to 4.111 percent from 4.081 percent a week earlier and that on the 30-year bond rose to 4.696 percent from 4.662 percent. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.
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