Weekly Market Recap (August 11 – August 15, 2025)
U.S. equities advanced with the Dow leading gains. Healthcare surged nearly 5% while defensives lagged. Meanwhile, the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin offered no breakthrough on Ukraine, leaving geopolitical risk elevated.
Index Performance
| Index | % Change (Aug 11 – Aug 15) |
|---|---|
| S&P 500 | +1.20% |
| Nasdaq | +1.11% |
| Dow Jones | +2.21% |
AI-Powered Stock Picks – Weekly Performance
| Company | % Change |
|---|---|
| Nvidia (NVDA) | -0.88% |
| VICI Properties (VICI) | -0.98% |
| Arista Networks (ANET) | -0.25% |
Macro Focus — Ukraine Peace Scenarios
- Partition with Protection: Ukraine may cede ~20% of land but retain sovereignty under Western guarantees.
- Partition with Subordination: Risk that Ukraine becomes a Russian protectorate if exhaustion forces concessions.
- Alaska summit ended without progress. Putin emphasized addressing “root causes,” signaling war continues until broader aims are met.
Outlook
- Healthcare leadership could extend as investors favor defensive growth.
- Ukraine uncertainty keeps energy, defense, and currency markets volatile.
- Tariff policy (India/China) remains a major swing factor for multinationals.
- Watch sector rotation between cyclicals and mega-cap tech as Fed policy evolves.
Key Takeaway
Strong gains in Healthcare and cyclicals offset weakness in defensives. But the macro narrative is dominated by geopolitics — from Ukraine uncertainty to tariff volatility. For investors, dispersion is high, favoring selective positioning over broad beta.
