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Once the presidential election results became known stock market volatility, as measured by the VIX volatility index, declined significantly from its elevated levels in the weeks leading up to the election.

Stocks extended their gains in the third quarter, propelled by the higher likelihood of that rarity of economic events, the “soft landing”. 

It was a soft week for equities, and for bonds too, whose prices fell as interest rates continued their ascent that began after the central bank lowered the Fed Funds rate in September (bond prices move opposite interest rates).

Stocks continued their torrid pace higher this week, with the Dow Jones Industrials and Standard & Poor’s 500 reaching all-time high levels, while the NASDAQ is poised to break through its July 11 record closing high.

This week’s major news release was the September inflation figures. The “headline” CPI was 2.4%, while “core” inflation, which removes the more volatile food and energy components, was 0.3% higher in September, moving the annual rate up to 3.3% after holding firm at 3.2% the previous two months.