Looking at the top 100 stocks in the S&P 500, the best performers were L Brands and Target with both stocks up over 12 per cent for the week followed by Nvidia up over 9 per cent, while Synopsys and Apple were both up over 8 per cent. The worst performers included Kohl’s down over 19 per cent, Jack Henry and Associates down over 14 per cent while Devon Energy, Diamond Back Energy and TechnipFMC were all down over 13 per cent last week. 

There seems to be a lot of confusion about the definition of bull and bear markets. In its simplest form, a bull market produces consistently higher prices while in a bear market we see consistently lower prices. But when analysing the market, context is everything. A few days up or down does not make a new trend. A rough guide in determining whether we are in a bull or bear market is a move of 20 percent or more in price in either direction although this explanation does not take into account time only price. According to Standard and Poors (S&P), the average bull market lasts around 54 months with an average gain of around 173 percent while bear markets, on the other hand, last on average around 19 months with the average fall around 40 percent. Therefore, the fall on the S&P 500 this year was technically a bear market although it is the shortest in history. There has also been a lot of talk about the property market with COVID-19 forcing Americans to look at where and how they live, and there are many moving to the suburbs or country areas seeking less dense housing. COVID-19 has changed our housing requirements, as we are working from home and I think we all agree that how we work has changed indefinitely. Looking at the research, sales in residential property rose 24.70 percent between June and July, while for the same period last year the rise was around 8 percent. This jump was expected, as people have been sitting on their hands, so to speak, for months waiting for the right time to buy. Right now, we are seeing tech stocks like Apple, Google and the like asking more employees to work from home and there is an expectation that this will continue post COVID-19. Not having to travel to work now give workers more choice on where they choose to live. So, is now the time to be buying a home? With interest rates low and likely to stay low for some time, you would have to think so. That said, with many moving out of the cities into areas where there are less homes for sale, the increase in demand with very little supply might may see prices become over inflated. To learn how Wealth Within can support you to be consistently profitable in the stock market, visit: https://www.wealthwithin.com.au

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/WealthWithi… to stay up-to-date and to learn more tips and strategies for trading the stock market

Find us on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wealthwithin

Learn More: Listen to our Talking Wealth Podcasts, Voted No.3 Globally: https://www.wealthwithin.com.au/learn…