US equity markets advanced for a third consecutive session and continued their fast start to the new year, with all three benchmark indices carving out fresh record highs to end the opening week of 2018 on a stellar footing - Dow up +221-points or +0.88%. The broader S&P500 rose +0.70% (with seven of eleven sectors advancing) to mark the first time since 1964 that the index has opened the new year with four consecutive record closing highs. January has been a positive month for the S&P500 62% of the time since the index's inception (source: Bloomberg). The technology-centric NASDAQ advanced +0.83%, with the FAANG stocks all posting solid gains (Facebook up +1.37%, Apple +1.14%, Amazon +1.62%, Netflix +2.12% and Google-parent Alphabet +1.46%). The Nasdaq also posted its fourth consecutive record closing high, last accomplishing the feat in 1999. It was an excellent opening to 2018 for the US markets, with the Dow adding +2.33% in the opening week of the year, the S&P500 +2.59% and the Nasdaq +3.38%. Not the case the for US dollar however, which posted its third consecutive weekly decline
