Second Quarter Ends Weaker Than the First, Trend Set to Continue

With the books closed on the June quarter, RealMoney Pro contributor Chris Versace reviews how the second quarter of 2015 compared to the first. In terms of the markets, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped in the second quarter, leaving the Nasdaq as the only index able to post any gains. Versace says the second quarter's weaker performance should come as no surprise to investors amid weakness in manufacturing data, a less-than-enthusiastic U.S. consumer as well as uncertainty driven by Greece and Puerto Rico. Going forward, Versace doesn't necessarily expect that the worst is behind us. He notes that order flows in the past couple of weeks have slowed and rail traffic and truck tonnage has remained weak. That being said, Versace stresses that it's difficult to predict a near-term pick-up in the economy, especially as we still have a stronger U.S. dollar to contend with. He expects that to be a focal point in the back half of the year.