Stock market volatility was in full evidence on Friday, April 29, with the Nasdaq Composite falling 4.2 percent to 12,334, the S&P 500 Index declining 3.6 percent to 4,131 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average surrendering 2.8 percent to 32,977.
Monetary policy tightening, geopolitical uncertainties and a slowing of global growth remain the biggest risks to the market, in addition to fears of growing inflation.
“It’s been hard to find a bright spot so far this month as market sentiment has been firmly ‘risk off,’ with expectations of future volatility creeping higher,” noted Benedek Vörös, director of index investment strategy at S&P Dow Jones Indices, in an April 28 market note.
For all of April, the Nasdaq shed 13.3 percent, marking its biggest monthly decline since October 2008. The S&P 500 fell 8.8 percent and Dow dropped 4.9 percent. It was the worst April performance for the Dow and S&P 500 since 1970, and the biggest Apri