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WEEKLY QUOTE
“Love
is the master key that opens the gates of happiness.”
- Oliver Wendell
Holmes
WEEKLY TIP
If
you want to improve your credit score, an inactive credit card will not help
(and it may even hurt). The key factors in credit score determination are
recent activity and recent payment history.
WEEKLY RIDDLE
Name
the three English-language three-letter words that begin and end with the
letter E.
Last week’s riddle:
What item binds two people yet touches only one?
Last week’s answer:
A wedding
ring.
|
February 27,
2012
OIL APProaches
$110 PER BARREL
As
NYMEX crude futures settled at $109.77 Friday, economists wondered how the
U.S. consumer might cope if $5 gas became a reality. Spurred by supply
concerns and heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, crude had its
best week in three months: futures gained $6.17 (5.96%) across five trading
days. Retail gas prices finished last week at $3.65 per gallon, a high unseen
since last June.1,2
MORE HOMES
MOVING ON THE MARKET
Existing home sales were up again in January – the National Association of Realtors reported a 4.3% monthly increase. Seasonally adjusted, sales have risen 8% since August. New home sales (a smaller portion of the residential real estate market) declined 0.9% in January, but largely as an effect of the Commerce Department revising December sales figures upward. Without those revisions, the indicator would have been strongly in the plus column. Last month, the new home inventory decreased to the lowest level since January 2006.3
CONSUMER
CONFIDENCE UP SLIGHTLY
The final Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey for February came in at 75.3 last week – a 12-month peak, and just a bit north of the 75.0 reading at the end of January. Economists polled by Briefing.com had projected a final February mark of 73.0.3,4
STOCKS & GOLD POST FURTHER GAINS
The
Dow ended the week at 12,982.95, the NASDAQ at 2,963.78 and the S&P 500
at 1,365.74. That was the S&P’s highest close since June 5, 2008. It also
represented a 102% rise from its March 2009 bottom. On the week, the S&P
gained 0.33%, the DJIA 0.26% and the NASDAQ 0.41%. Gold wrapped up the week at
$1,776.40 on the COMEX after advancing 2.93% in five days.2,5
THIS WEEK: A new NAR
pending home sales index comes out Monday, along with earnings from Lowe’s,
HSBC and Priceline. Tuesday, we have the February Conference Board consumer
confidence poll, the December S&P/Case-Shiller home price index and data
on January durable goods orders plus earnings reports from Office Depot and
DreamWorks. Wednesday offers the second estimate of Q4 GDP, a new Federal
Reserve Beige Book and quarterly results from Staples and Costco. Thursday is
just as big as Tuesday, with the January consumer spending figures coming out
along with ISM’s newest manufacturing index, the latest initial claims
report, Commerce Department data on February auto sales and earnings from Wendy’s,
Kroger and Big Lots. Friday, nothing major is scheduled.
Sources: money.msn.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov, treasurydirect.gov - 2/24/122,6,7,8
Indices are unmanaged, do not
incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly.
These returns do not include
dividends.
|
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«RepresentativeDisclosure»
This material was prepared by
MarketingLibrary.Net Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of
the presenting party, nor their affiliates. Marketing Library.Net Inc. is not
affiliated with any broker or brokerage firm that may be providing this
information to you. This information should not be construed as investment,
tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any
Federal tax penalty. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted
index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The NASDAQ Composite Index is
an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over-the-counter common stocks
traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation
System. The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of
securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. It
is not possible to invest directly in an index. NYSE Group, Inc. (NYSE:NYX)
operates two securities exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”)
and NYSE Arca (formerly known as the Archipelago Exchange, or ArcaEx®, and
the Pacific Exchange). NYSE Group is a leading provider of securities
listing, trading and market data products and services. The New York
Mercantile Exchange, Inc. (NYMEX) is the world's largest physical commodity
futures exchange and the preeminent trading forum for energy and precious
metals, with trading conducted through two divisions – the NYMEX Division, home
to the energy, platinum, and palladium markets, and the COMEX Division, on
which all other metals trade. Additional risks are associated with
international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and
economic instability and differences in accounting standards. All information
is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as
to its completeness or accuracy. All economic and performance data is
historical and not indicative of future results. Market indices discussed are
unmanaged. Investors cannot invest in unmanaged indices. The publisher is not
engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If
assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a
competent professional.
Citations.
1 - blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2012/02/24/data-points-energy-metals-549/
[2/24/12]
2 - money.msn.com/market-news/post.aspx?post=f460d01b-ed4b-4bea-a1f8-e493ba886494
[2/24/12]
3 - www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/89e852da-5eec-11e1-a087-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1nRYUcgZK1
[2/24/12]
4 - briefing.com/Investor/Calendars/Economic/Releases/mich.htm
[2/24/12]
5 - montoyaregistry.com/Financial-Market.aspx?financial-market=common-financial-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them&category=29
[2/24/12]
6 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F24%2F11&x=0&y=0
[2/24/12]
6 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F24%2F11&x=0&y=0
[2/24/12]
6 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F24%2F11&x=0&y=0
[2/24/12]
6 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F23%2F07&x=0&y=0
[2/24/12]
6 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F23%2F07&x=0&y=0
[2/24/12]
6 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F23%2F07&x=0&y=0
[2/24/12]
6 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F26%2F02&x=0&y=0
[2/24/12]
6 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F26%2F02&x=0&y=0
[2/24/12]
6 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F26%2F02&x=0&y=0
[2/24/12]
7 -
treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield
[2/24/12]
7 -
treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll
[2/24/12]
8 - treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2002/ofm10902.pdf
[1/9/02]
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Economic Update for the week of Feb. 27th, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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WEEKLY QUOTE
“If
you would be loved, love and be lovable.”
- Benjamin Franklin
WEEKLY TIP
As
your retirement progresses, your retirement strategy should be reviewed in
light of budgeting and inflation concerns and the current financial climate.
WEEKLY RIDDLE
A
lone pine tree stands on a cliff. The wind is blowing from the east through
the mountains. Which way do the tree’s leaves blow?
Last week’s riddle:
It has no crown, yet when the chips are down it is more powerful than a king or queen. What is it?
Last week’s answer:
An ace
in a deck of cards.
|
February 3,
2012
JOBLESS RATE
DOWN TO 8.3%
Are
we seeing a trend here? The unemployment rate has now fallen 0.8% in the last
six months. We haven’t seen a descent this sharp and swift since 1984. January
hiring blew away forecasts: the Labor Department said the economy added
243,000 jobs last month, while economists polled by Briefing.com expected
non-farm payrolls to grow by 155,000 positions. The labor force hasn’t grown
so much in a month since last April, and the numbers are making analysts
wonder if the Federal Reserve will tinker with interest rates months ahead of
expectations.1,2
HOUSEHOLDS
SAVE FIRST, SPEND SECOND
Consumer
spending was flat in December after gains of just 0.1% in November and
October. More significantly, consumer incomes rose 0.5% for December and so
did the personal savings rate. People essentially put the extra money in the
bank. In related news, the federal government estimated 2011 GDP at 1.7%,
about half of the economic growth seen in 2010.3
BOTH ISM
INDEXES RISE
The Institute for Supply Management’s closely watched purchasing manager indexes signaled expanding service and manufacturing sectors in January. ISM’s service sector PMI improved 3.8% to 56.8. Its manufacturing PMI advanced 1.0% to 54.1.4
CASE-SHILLER
INDEX DECLINES AGAIN
This was the third straight monthly dip for the 20-city roundup of residential home prices. The latest available edition (November) showed a 1.3% monthly retreat in prices with a 3.7% year-over-year drop.5
NASDAQ TOPS 2,900
The
tech-heavy index closed at an 11-year high Friday: 2,905.66. The Dow settled
at 12, 862.23 at week’s end, its best close since May 2008. The S&P 500 finished
Friday at 1,344.90. The weekly gains: DJIA, 1.59%; S&P, 2.17%; NASDAQ, 3.16%.1,6
THIS WEEK: Earnings
take center stage in a stretch without much economic data. Monday brings Q4
results from Yum Brands, Humana and Hasbro. Tuesday, earnings arrive from
Disney, UBS, Toyota, BP, Coca-Cola and Hartford Financial. Wednesday, Groupon,
VISA, CVS, Sprint Nextel, Time Warner and Cisco join in. Thursday, the Bank
of England and ECB wrap up policy meetings; new initial claims figures
complement earnings reports from Expedia, PepsiCo, Dunkin’ Brands, Sirius XM
Radio, Rio Tinto and Credit Suisse. Friday, the University of Michigan’s
initial February consumer sentiment survey comes out plus Q4 results from
Barclays.
Sources: money.msn.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov, treasurydirect.gov - 2/3/121,7,8,9
Indices are unmanaged, do not
incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly.
These returns do not include
dividends.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Please feel
free to forward this article to family, friends or colleagues.
If you would like us to add them to our distribution list, please reply with their address. We will contact them first and request their permission to add them to our list. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
«RepresentativeDisclosure»
This material was prepared by
MarketingLibrary.Net Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of
the presenting party, nor their affiliates. Marketing Library.Net Inc. is not
affiliated with any broker or brokerage firm that may be providing this
information to you. This information should not be construed as investment,
tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any
Federal tax penalty. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted
index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The NASDAQ Composite Index is
an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over-the-counter common stocks
traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation
System. The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of
securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. It
is not possible to invest directly in an index. NYSE Group, Inc. (NYSE:NYX)
operates two securities exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”)
and NYSE Arca (formerly known as the Archipelago Exchange, or ArcaEx®, and
the Pacific Exchange). NYSE Group is a leading provider of securities
listing, trading and market data products and services. The New York
Mercantile Exchange, Inc. (NYMEX) is the world's largest physical commodity
futures exchange and the preeminent trading forum for energy and precious
metals, with trading conducted through two divisions – the NYMEX Division,
home to the energy, platinum, and palladium markets, and the COMEX Division,
on which all other metals trade. Additional risks are associated with
international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and
economic instability and differences in accounting standards. All information
is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as
to its completeness or accuracy. All economic and performance data is
historical and not indicative of future results. Market indices discussed are
unmanaged. Investors cannot invest in unmanaged indices. The publisher is not
engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If
assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a
competent professional.
Citations.
1 - money.msn.com/market-news/post.aspx?post=7c25b3c1-0028-46a6-a114-77f785c12529
[2/3/12]
2 - www.briefing.com/investor/calendars/economic/2012/01/30-03
[2/3/12]
3 - www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19853130
[1/30/12]
4 - www.ism.ws/ISMReport/NonMfgROB.cfm
[2/3/12]
5 - www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-home-prices-decline-20120131,0,3490723.story
[1/31/12]
6 - montoyaregistry.com/Financial-Market.aspx?financial-market=common-financial-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them&category=29
[2/3/12]
7 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F3%2F11&x=0&y=0
[2/3/12]
7 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F3%2F11&x=0&y=0
[2/3/12]
7 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F3%2F11&x=0&y=0
[2/3/12]
7 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F2%2F07&x=0&y=0
[2/3/12]
7 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F2%2F07&x=0&y=0
[2/3/12]
7 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F2%2F07&x=0&y=0
[2/3/12]
7 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F4%2F02&x=0&y=0
[2/3/12]
7 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F4%2F02&x=0&y=0
[2/3/12]
7 -
bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F4%2F02&x=0&y=0
[2/3/12]
8 -
treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield
[2/3/12]
8 -
treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll
[2/3/12]
9 - treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2002/ofm10902.pdf
[1/9/02]
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