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U.S. markets ended a volatile month on a high note Friday. All major indices posted impressive increases for the week, buoyed by news from the Fed Reserve and international trade. The S&P 500 jumped 4.85% and the Dow increased 5.16% for the week.  International Stocks rose 0.95% and the U.S. Aggregate Bond Index gained 0.13%.

Last week was a tough Thanksgiving week for domestic stock markets. The S&P 500 dropped 3.79% and the Dow continued its recent slide, losing 4.44%. International Stocks also declined, but posted a smaller 1.12% loss, while the U.S. Aggregate Bond Index gained a slight 0.03%. Once again, portfolio diversification helped to cushion losses.

Last week did nothing to dispel October's reputation as a tough month for the markets. The S&P 500 lost 3.94%, the Dow declined 2.97%, and the NASDAQ dropped 3.78% during what was one of 2018's most volatile weeks so far. All three indexes are down significantly for the month, and both the S&P 500 and Dow have entered negative territory for 2018.

Last week brought new tariffs and data. Overall, the S&P 500 gained 0.85% and the Dow was up 2.25%. International Stocks had sizable growth, posting a 2.89% increase while the U.S. Aggregate Bond Index slipped -0.26%.

A Look Back: Last Week's Tariffs and Mixed Housing Data

Both the S&P 500 and NASDAQ closed last week with new record highs. The S&P 500 added 0.86%, the Dow increased 0.47%%, and the NASDAQ gained 1.66%. International stocks also grew, increasing 1.52% for the week and the U.S Aggregate Bond Index added 0.26%.

Markets experienced a push-and-pull last week between data indicating strong economic growth and lagging performance from several tech stocks' earnings reports. Domestic indexes had mixed results, as the S&P 500 gained 0.61%, the Dow was up 1.57%, while the NASDAQ dropped 1.06%. International stocks had more of an uptick, gaining 1.32% for the week while the U.S.

Stocks stumbled across the globe last week as trade tensions continued to escalate. Despite rebounding somewhat on Friday, the S&P 500 experienced its first weekly loss in a month, and the Dow posted its worst week since March. The S&P 500 dropped 0.89% and the Dow lost 2.03%.  International Stocks gave back 0.98%, while U.S.

Geopolitical uncertainty affected stocks last week, as the historic summit between the U.S. and North Korea began to look less likely. On Thursday, May 24, President Trump announced that the summit was off, and stocks stumbled in reaction. The next day, Trump said the meeting might still occur next month, leaving investors questioning the eventual outcome.

Heightened global market volatility continued last week. Stocks slid on Friday, April 13, but still held on to gains for the week. The S&P 500 increased 1.99% and the Dow added 1.79%. International Stocks also rose, gaining 1.45%.

Markets experienced significant declines last week. The S&P 500 lost 5.95% and the Dow dropped 5.66%. With these losses, all major domestic indexes had their worst weekly performance in more than 2 years. International Stocks also declined, giving back 2.64%.