Liz Ann Sonders Re-poster

We are currently observing moderate market breadth. Although the S&P 500 index has successfully reached an all-time high, fewer than 10% of its component stocks are actually trading at their respective 52-week highs.

Be sure to tune in to the newest episode of our #OnInvesting podcast. We are skipping the guest interviews this week, so it is just @CollinMartinCS and myself having a great conversation. We cover a wide variety of subjects, including current market conditions, corporate earnings, geopolitical war, the Fed, and much more. You can listen to our entire discussion by visiting https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/why-corporate-earnings-matter-stocks-bonds-fed

Recent insights from the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) reveal an interesting shift regarding the living arrangements of young adults aged 18 to 34. Throughout 2024, the proportion of these individuals staying at home with their parents climbed to 32.5 percent. While this represents a noticeable increase from the 31.8 percent documented in 2023, the current rate still falls short of the 34.5 percent pre-pandemic peak that was established in 2017. Geographically, the Southern and Northeastern states are currently experiencing the greatest concentrations of young people sharing a residence with their parents.

@DataArbor @NAHBhome

During April, the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index saw an upward movement to reach 56.2 when adjusted for the ISM methodology. With this latest figure, the metric has successfully maintained its position in expansion territory for nearly an entire year.

I am eagerly anticipating my participation on @CNBCClosingBell later today. Please tune in at approximately 4:05pm ET to catch me on #Overtime.

The most recent data for March shows that industrial production saw a month-over-month decline of 0.5%. This result missed the estimated increase of 0.1%. On a brighter note, the figures for the prior month received a positive adjustment, as they were revised up to a 0.7% gain from the initially reported 0.2% rise.

The investment groups monitored by @GoldmanSachs, specifically Memes and Retail Favorites, have experienced a considerable rise since reaching their lowest points in March. Despite this notable recovery, these baskets currently remain in negative territory for the year to date. Please keep in mind that past performance is no guarantee of future results.

April @phildelphiafed Manufacturing Index rose to +26.7 vs. +10.0 est. & +18.1 prior…prices paid +59.3 vs. +44.7; new orders +33.0 vs. +8.6 prior; shipments +34.0 vs. +22.2 prior; employment -5.1 vs. +0.8

When excluding petroleum, the prices of imports during March climbed by +0.1% m/m. This represents a noticeable moderation from the prior increase of +0.9%, making it the smallest upward adjustment seen since September.

During the month of April, the Empire Manufacturing Index experienced an increase of 4 points, successfully reaching a score of 57. When evaluated using the ISM methodology, this data confirms that the indicator has maintained a solid position within the expansion phase, which establishes its highest level since the year 2022.

The builder sentiment for April, as reported by @NAHBhome, has dropped to its lowest point in seven months. The latest figure came in at 34. This result falls below the expected estimate of 37 and represents a noticeable decrease from the previous month's reading of 38.

For the month of March, the metric for import prices, represented by the color blue, experienced a y/y growth of +2.1%, which is an acceleration from the preceding figure of +1.0%. Similarly, export prices, indicated in orange, went up by +5.6% y/y, showing a steady rise compared to the previous period's mark of +3.8%.

The latest economic data brings some positive news regarding the April Empire Manufacturing Index, which experienced a remarkable surge to 11.0. This figure easily outperformed the estimated 0.0 and marks a solid turnaround from the previous reading of -0.2.

Diving into the specific metrics, the category of new orders climbed notably to 19.3, a significant increase from the prior 6.4. The shipments component also displayed a strong recovery, rising to 20.2 compared to the preceding -6.9. Additionally, the prices paid measure advanced to 51.0 from the earlier 36.6. Finally, the employment indicator saw an encouraging boost, moving up to 9.8 from the previous 5.8.

During the month of March, the net percentage of small businesses experiencing upward profit trends dropped by 11 points, settling at -25%. This specific decrease served as the primary factor driving the recent decline in the Optimism Index. @NFIB

Recent findings from @Gallup highlight a steady upward trend in workplace technology adoption. During the first quarter of 2026, half of all workers indicated that they engage with artificial intelligence a minimum of a few times annually, representing an increase from the 46% observed during the fourth quarter of 2025. In addition to this broader adoption, regular engagement with these tools is also climbing. The data reveals that the proportion of staff members utilizing artificial intelligence frequently has grown to 28%, while the share of those relying on it on a daily basis has now reached 13%.

There was a notable decrease during March, with the 3m annualized rate of change for the core PPI falling significantly to settle at 4.9%.

Here is a breakdown of the specific elements from the March PPI that factor directly into the PCE, which serves as the primary metric the Fed prefers to use when monitoring #inflation.

The 2020 Names Data published today by ⁦@uscensusbureau⁩ reveals a remarkable consistency in our country's surnames. Since 1790, eight of the top 15 last names nationwide have remained exactly the same.

I am very excited to participate on @BloombergTV, and I will be joining #TheClose at approximately 3:50pm ET this afternoon.

The latest PPI reading arrived a touch softer than anticipated. Please stay tuned, as I will be sharing further information and the accompanying graphs very shortly.