Financial insights for the week ending June 12, 2026
For the week ending June 12th, 2026, markets finished modestly higher. The S&P 500 finished up 0.6%, the Nasdaq rose 0.7%, the Dow gained 0.7%, and the Russell 2000 ended the week up 3.9%.
Inflation was back in focus this week, and the numbers got everyone's attention. The May CPI report showed prices up 4.2% from a year ago, the fastest pace in three years, with energy doing most of the damage. The conflict in the Middle East has pushed oil and gasoline prices sharply higher, and that showed up clearly in the data. The somewhat reassuring part is that core inflation, which strips out food and energy, came in at 2.9% and actually slowed on a monthly basis, a sign the energy spike hasn't spread through the broader economy just yet. That distinction matters to the Fed, and it's exactly what officials will be weighing at next week's meeting. The story everyone was talking about yesterday though, was SpaceX. The company finally went public after 24 years as a private business, pricing shares at $135 before opening at $150 under the ticker SPCX. It was the largest IPO ever, and the stock climbed well past its opening price during the day, pushing the company's value above $2 trillion. The demand, driven in part by increased accessibility of shares to retail investors, was remarkable. At the same time, a valuation that size means a whole lot of future success is already baked into the price, and early trading in newly public companies tends to be bumpy while the market figures out what something is actually worth.
Next week belongs to the Fed. The June meeting runs Tuesday and Wednesday, with the policy decision coming Wednesday afternoon. Chair Powell's press conference will immediately follow. Markets widely expect the Fed to hold rates steady this time, which means the tone may end up mattering more than the decision itself. Investors will be parsing every word for clues about how the committee is reading inflation, how worried it is about the labor market, and where rates might head over the back half of the year. We'll also get a steady drip of economic data around the meeting. Housing starts and building permits arrive Tuesday and should tell us more about how higher rates are weighing on builders and affordability. Retail sales lands Wednesday morning, just hours before the Fed decision, and will show whether consumers are still opening their wallets or starting to tighten up. All in all, Wednesday could be one of the busier days markets have seen in a while!
With summer ramping up, it's also a good time to check in on your emergency fund. We know, this has been a tip before, but this remains a critical safety net when emergencies arise. Between vacations, projects around the house, grandkids' activities, and the air conditioning running nonstop, cash tends to disappear faster this time of year. A good rule of thumb is three to six months of essential expenses in a savings account you can get to, separate from your everyday checking so it isn't tempting to dip into. If that money has been sitting in a regular bank account earning next to nothing, it may be worth looking at a high yield savings account, since many are still paying meaningfully more than the big banks. That money isn't there to chase a big return. It's there so a surprise car repair or a vet bill doesn't push you onto a credit card or force you to sell investments at a bad time. If you're not sure whether your cash reserves are in the right spot, that's exactly the kind of thing we're happy to look at with you.
Enjoy your day! Come back next Saturday for our latest commentary. We are here to answer any of your financial questions.