The buying continued in U.S. equity markets to close out a choppy week that still produced losses for the major indexes. Still, stocks rallied across sectors, and into the close of the week, which shows there is still conviction among buyers.

U.S. retail sales from April increased just 0.8%, which was lower than expectations. Investors may have been hoping for stronger sales given that the stimulus checks were in spenders' bank accounts and we know demand is really strong right now. But inflation may be pausing some big purchases to be postponed until prices subside, or consumers feel even stronger.

Equity markets have been choppy lately, but we should expect that given the strength of the economic recovery, and all the moving parts associated with reopening the economy, the lifting of mask-wearing and social distancing rules, and the strength of the stock market rally we've experienced over the past nine months. We are feeling the effects of all of it in May.

Chart courtesy: YCharts

2/ TODAY IN HISTORY

May 15, 1997

Photo courtesy Getty / Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor

On this day in 1997, Amazon.com Inc. held its initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq, at a price of $18 per share. Notably, $10,000 invested on that day and price would be worth more than $12 million as of May 2020. That's more than 120,000% growth. The company's own growth has been geometric since its early days as an online bookseller to a juggernaut of a business that sells everything from books to groceries, and data storage to movies.

Source: Investopedia

3/ WORD OF THE DAY

Child Tax Credit

The child tax credit is a tax benefit granted to American taxpayers for each qualifying dependent child. Designed to help taxpayers support their families, this credit has been greatly expanded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. It is estimated that the new rules will reduce by 45% the number of American children living in poverty.

The child tax credit decreases taxpayers’ tax liability on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The recent legislation increased the maximum annual credit from $2,000 per child (under 17) in 2020 to $3,000 per child (under 18) or $3,600 (children younger than 6) for 2021.

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Coming up on Monday, making sense of the crypto-craze and tokens like Polkadot with Greg King of Osprey Funds, and volatility has awoken from its hibernation, and its hungry. We explore the recent choppiness in the stock and options markets with Kenny Polcari, who also drops off one of his terrific recipes for a Spring dinner. Plus, the investing term the educated investor needs to know this week. All that and more on The Investopedia Express.

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