Insights

Despite a broad-based rally last Friday, stocks generally closed the week lower. With the exception of the Global Dow, each of the benchmark indexes listed here ended last week in the red. Ongoing tensions in the Middle East have wreaked havoc with crude oil prices, which jumped to over $100/barrel last Thursday, only to plunge to about $90/barrel by the end of the week.

Equities ended the week mostly lower as investors parsed through a heavy slate of fourth-quarter earnings data, economic reports, high valuations, and the Federal Reserve's decision to maintain interest rates at their current levels.