Equities Rally

Stocks rallied last week as optimism about a potential U.S.-China trade deal grew. The S&P 500 advanced 0.80% during the 4-day trading week to 2,792.67. The Nasdaq Composite improved 0.86% to 7,527.54, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.64% to 26,031.81. The U.S. Aggregate Bond index inched up 0.11%.

The renewed prospects for a trade pact were not the only development investors found appealing last week. There were indications that the Federal Reserve might be a bit less committed to its plans to raise interest rates further this year.

A Look at the Fed Minutes

There were no surprises from the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, who released the transcript from their January meeting on Tuesday. Investors reviewed the meeting minutes looking for clues about the Fed's next move on short-term interest rates.

Fed policymakers appeared split on what's next. Some felt another rate hike was needed to help slow the strong economy, while others favored a "wait-and-see" approach.

Home Sales Slump

In January, existing home sales were at their slowest pace since November 2015, and down 8.5% year-over-year. One factor: rising home values. Last month, the median single-family home sale price was $247,500, almost $7,000 higher than a year ago.

Mortgage rates have now fallen for three consecutive weeks, a development that may influence home buying decisions in coming months. Thursday, a Freddie Mac survey found the average interest rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate loan at just 4.35%.

Final Thought

The Dow Jones and Nasdaq have posted gains for nine straight weeks and are now at levels unseen since early November. Concerns over volatility have decreased, but that does not mean it has gone away for good. It would not be surprising to see stocks pause or pull back after such a strong run since Christmas.