It’s a shorter week for markets heading into Easter weekend, with U.S. stock exchanges closing a day early, ending the trading week at the closing bell Thursday, known as Holy Thursday, with no equity trading the following day, Good Friday.
The beginning of Passover coincides this year with Good Friday, ending on April 23.
Bond markets, on the other hand, will operate on an abbreviated schedule, closing Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern. That will give traders time to digest a smattering of U.S. economic data due for release before noon, including monthly updates on New York state business conditions and an industrial-output reading for March.
But the big focus for investors — and households — heading into the long holiday weekend has been the cost of living, with the U.S. inflation rate having surged sixfold in the past 14 months to an annual rate of 8.5% in March, driven by soaring prices for housing, fuel, groceries, cars and more.
By: Market Watch