U.S. equities pulled back from their highs last week, taking a breather from the strong market rally in the wake of Election Day and positive Covid-19 vaccine progress, as investors assessed near-term headwinds from the escalating coronavirus case count and subsequent restrictions.

The post-election day market rally rolled on this past week as optimism on vaccine progress overshadowed the continued rise in global Covid-19 cases and the resulting ramp in restrictions to contain the spread. For the week, the S&P 500 gained 2.2% while the Dow Jones surged 4.2% on its higher exposure to cyclical industries.

Following a sharp selloff heading into election week on elevated uncertainty and rising Covid-19 cases, U.S. equity markets staged a blistering rally last week that more than recovered the prior week’s losses as market participants sought to position portfolios for the outcome of the elections and bets for heightened volatility around the election unwound and lifted markets higher.

Ever heard the term “dollar cost averaging”? What does the concept mean to you? In the retirement planning world, this is how you ensure that you aren’t trying to time the market with making payroll deduction contributions.

With full disclosure, I come to you in this writing at the conclusion of the week that brought us the “debate” and a COVID positive in the White House. As we all absorb the seemingly endless journey to the other side of what has become 2020, there can exist a very real effort to dig deep down and stay positive as well as an essential need to pick each other up along the way.