Last week’s trading activity was shortened by the Presidents’ Day holiday, leading to lighter volume and mixed index performance.

The S&P 500 rose about 0.4% and the Nasdaq Composite edged slightly higher, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined modestly due to weakness in several large industrial stocks. Economic signals pointed to gradual moderation: non-farm payrolls increased, unemployment held near 4.3%, and inflation readings continued to ease. Early consumer-spending data supported expectations of manageable price pressures, while rising U.S.–Iran tensions lifted oil prices and supported energy shares.

Next week’s economic calendar is lighter but still includes several market-moving indicators. Investors will monitor the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for signals on household sentiment and spending intentions, alongside the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index and wholesale inventories for insight into housing and supply trends. January’s producer price index will provide another inflation gauge, while the final stretch of Q4 earnings, particularly results from Nvidia as an artificial-intelligence spending barometer, may influence expectations for growth, inflation, and near-term volatility.

Given this economic backdrop, let us see how this impacts the performance of various investment strategies.