Investing Update: Sell In May? Not So Fast
What I'm buying, selling & watching
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Records keep falling. The S&P 500 closed at a new all-time high of 7,230, up 0.9% on the week and now up 5.6% on the year. The Nasdaq hit its own record, climbing 1.1% to 25,114. Both indexes logged their 5th consecutive positive week.
The Dow gained 0.6% to close just under 49,500, while the Russell 2000 added 0.9% and continues to lead all major indexes year to date at +12.5%.
Oil crossed $100 a barrel this week and kept going, closing at $102.50. That is up 8.9% on the week and an eye-opening 76.9% in 2026. The 10-year Treasury yield edged up to 4.38%. Gold slipped 2.1% to $4,626, and Bitcoin gained 1.3% to close at 78,352, though it remains down 10.5% on the year.
Market Recap
Weekly Heat Map Of Stocks
YTD Heat Map of Stocks
Dow 30 Scorecard
What a Month. Now What?
Before we look ahead, let’s take a moment to appreciate what just happened.
The S&P 500 gained 10.4% in April. That is the index’s biggest monthly gain since November 2020, its 27th best month ever going back to 1928, and its 4th best April on record. Look at that chart. That green candle to close the month is hard to argue with.
Coming off the lows of late March, this was a historic snapback. Five consecutive positive weeks. The kind of month that reminds you why staying invested matters.
And technology was the engine. The S&P 500 Technology sector posted its second best month in its 27-year history, gaining 20% in April. Going back to 1926, there have been only two other times tech produced a 20%+ monthly total return at an all-time high. Look at what followed both of those instances.
Now the calendar flips to May. And you know what they say.