2024 Year in Review: Cooling Inflation, Lower Rates, and the AI Boom 📉🤖

Money Masters' Market Pulse Week 52

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🎄 Happy Holidays, Money Masters Community! 🎄

As 2024 draws to a close, we want to take a moment to celebrate the year with all of you. This time, we’re doing something special—a recap of all the major financial news that shaped the year! 📊✨

What an incredible year it has been, and it’s all the more special because of your unwavering support. We are truly grateful for each and every one of you. As we welcome 2025, we wish you a year filled with blessings, prosperity, and success. 🌟🙏

Our mission is to empower you with the knowledge to navigate the world of finance, and we hope our content continues to be a guiding light in your financial journey. Here's to another amazing year together! 🍾🎉

📰 2024 Financial Year Review

January 2024 

1️⃣ S&P 500 hit record highs 📈, kicking off the year with optimism.
2️⃣ Federal Reserve held rates steady, signaling potential cuts later in the year 🏦.
3️⃣ Global equities gained for the third month in a row 🌍, while Chinese markets slumped due to economic worries.
4️⃣ Taiwan elected Lai Ching-te as president, influencing regional politics 🗳️.

February 2024 

1️⃣ Growth stocks outpaced value stocks as the market rally persisted 🚀.
2️⃣ Rising bond yields posed challenges for fixed-income portfolios 📉.
3️⃣ Eurozone economic stagnation saw improvement with a slowing decline in PMI data 🏛️.
4️⃣ Geopolitical tensions spiked as shipping firms avoided the Suez Canal due to Red Sea incidents 🚢.

March 2024 

1️⃣ Fed hints at rate cuts, sparking the S&P 500's best week of the year 🎉.
2️⃣ Home Depot’s $18.25 billion acquisition of SRS Distribution marked a significant M&A event 🏠.
3️⃣ Emerging market equities dipped, led by Asian markets 📊.
4️⃣ South Africa's inflation rate eased further, a positive economic sign 🌍.

April 2024 

1️⃣ A 4.1% drop in the S&P 500 broke its monthly winning streak 📉.
2️⃣ Bond yields spiked, with the 10-year Treasury yield hitting 4.69% 📈.
3️⃣ Turkey's market soared by 13.3% after Moody's revised its outlook to positive 🌟.

May 2024 

1️⃣ The S&P 500 rebounded 5%, achieving a new record high 🏆.
2️⃣ ConocoPhillips acquired Marathon Oil for $22.5 billion 🛢️.
3️⃣ The J.P.Morgan Manufacturing PMI crossed into expansion territory, signaling global recovery 📊.

June 2024 

1️⃣ Brazil and China eased monetary policies, with rate cuts and reserve requirement reductions 🌎.
2️⃣ Apollo Global Management bought Intel's Fab 34 for $11 billion 💻.
3️⃣ The S&P 500 advanced another 3.23%, sustaining its upward momentum 📈.

July 2024 

1️⃣ Global GDP forecasts were revised upward to 3.1%, driven by strong growth in India and Southeast Asia 🌏.
2️⃣ Bosch’s $8.1 billion acquisition of Johnson Controls’ HVAC division highlighted industrial growth 🔧.

August 2024 

1️⃣ Mars, Inc. announced a $35.9 billion acquisition of Kellanova 🛒.
2️⃣ Nonfarm payrolls came in below expectations, indicating a slowing labor market 🏢.
3️⃣ Eurozone inflation dropped to 2.8%, stoking hopes of ECB rate cuts 💶.

September 2024 

1️⃣ The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high of 5,762.48 🔥.
2️⃣ The Fed delivered a 0.50% rate cut, fueling equity gains 💰.
3️⃣ Commodities surged 4.5%, led by energy and agriculture 📊.

October 2024 

1️⃣ A 1% decline in the S&P 500 interrupted its rally 📉.
2️⃣ Earnings season impressed, with 8% year-over-year growth 📈.
3️⃣ Sub-Saharan Africa saw economic recovery as weather impacts subsided 🌍.

November 2024 

1️⃣ The S&P 500 posted its best month of the year, surging 5.73% 🏅.
2️⃣ Fed rate cuts continued, lowering rates to 4.50%-4.75% 🏦.
3️⃣ Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raised supply chain fears ⚠️.

December 2024 

1️⃣ Fed’s third rate cut of the year brought rates down to 4.25%-4.50% 🎁.
2️⃣ Consumer confidence dipped, reflecting cautious sentiment heading into 2025 📉.
3️⃣ The U.S. presidential election campaign ramped up, hinting at market volatility 📊.

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To your financial empowerment, The Money Masters Team

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Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Always conduct your own research or consult with a financial advisor before making investment decisions.