Financial stocks look set to resume their gains in February, following a month in which two of the largest U.S. banks, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Goldman Sachs (GS) , helped drive the Dow to record highs.
Those banks and their competitors are getting a boost from President Trump's promises to reduce corporate taxes, scale back regulation and boost government spending, all while benefiting from higher interest rates and a fourth-quarter surge in fixed-income trading.
Now, Here's what you should look out for this month:
1. The Federal Reserve meets this week and the minutes will be released on the 22nd. Investors will be looking for any guidance on the number of rate hikes.
2. This is also a big month for insurers. AIG (AIG) , Prudential Financial (PRU) , and MetLife (MET) will report earnings. They have been under the pressure with near-zero interest rates for years.
3. And finally, as we approach Spring, we'll be watching existing and new homes sales numbers. Home buyers will be looking to jump into the mortgage market before interest rates rise.
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