Economic Update for the week of May 26th, 2015

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
WEEKLY QUOTE                “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”       - Lewis Carroll            WEEKLY TIP               As your household’s income and expenses increase with time, so should the size of your emergency fund. It should be large enough to cover 3-6 months of household costs.           WEEKLY RIDDLE              Your mother’s brother’s only brother-in-law is taking a picture of you. How is he more closely related to you?     Last week’s riddle: No matter how little or how much you use me, you change your view of me every month. What am I?       Last week’s answer: A calendar.	May 26, 2015                         HOMEBUYING SLOWS, CONSTRUCTION ACCELERATES The National Association of Realtors offered some good news and some bad news last week. While existing home sales decreased 3.3% in April, they were up 6.1% from a year ago. Along with the annual improvement in the pace of resales, the median home price rose 8.9% year-over-year to $219,400. April also saw a 20.2% leap in housing starts, taking groundbreaking to a high unseen since November 2008; the Commerce Department also noted a 10.1% increase in building permits last month.1,2     CONSUMER PRICES BARELY RISE April brought just an 0.1% advance for the Consumer Price Index, a development influenced by a 1.7% fall in gasoline costs. (The average price for a gallon of unleaded was $2.73 as of Memorial Day weekend, nearly a dollar lower than a year ago.) In the bigger picture, the headline CPI declined 0.2% year-over-year. The Labor Department did report an 0.3% increase in the core CPI (which excludes energy and food prices); it rose 1.8% in a year. 3        GOLD SLIPS, OIL STAYS UNDER $60 A BARREL With the dollar recovering from a brief slump and Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen commenting Friday that the Federal Reserve is still likely to raise interest rates this year, metals were hurt last week. Gold lost 1.7% on the COMEX, silver 2.9% and copper 3.9%. Oil settled at $59.72 on the NYMEX Friday, moving only $0.03 higher on the week.4    A MINOR ADVANCE FOR THE S&P 500 A fairly placid trading week saw the broad benchmark rise 0.16% to 2,126.06. From May 18-22, the Dow lost 0.22% while the Nasdaq gained 0.81%. The Nasdaq settled Friday at 5,089.36, the Dow at 18,232.02. 5         THIS WEEK: U.S. financial markets are closed Monday as the nation observes Memorial Day. Wall Street interprets reports on April new home sales and hard goods orders Tuesday, along with earnings from AutoZone, TiVo and Workday. On Wednesday, Tiffany, Palo Alto Networks, Toll Brothers, Costco, Popeye’s, Valspar and Michael Kors report results. Thursday, investors will eye the latest weekly jobless claims report and NAR’s report on April pending home sales; earnings from Abercrombie & Fitch, Express and GameStop will also arrive. On Friday, the second estimate of first quarter GDP is announced and Big Lots presents Q1 results.      % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG DJIA +2.29 +10.21 +15.77 +7.32 NASDAQ +7.46 +22.51 +25.66 +14.75 S&P 500 +3.26 +12.34 +19.09 +7.81 REAL YIELD 5/22 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO 10 YR TIPS 0.34% 0.35% 1.33% 1.65%   Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 5/22/156,7,8,9 Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. These returns do not include dividends. 10-year TIPS real yield = projected return at maturity given expected inflation.
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«RepresentativeDisclosure»   This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. 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. 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. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. 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. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific point in time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. 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 - nasdaq.com/article/us-existinghome-sales-decline-33-in-april-20150521-01387 [5/22/15] 2 - marketwatch.com/story/housing-starts-surge-20-in-april-2015-05-19 [5/19/15] 3 - usatoday.com/story/money/2015/05/22/consumer-prices-april/27737861/ [5/22/15] 4 - proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/61602/gold-drops-01-to-settle-at-1204-wti-drops-17-to-5972--61602.html [5/22/15] 5 - markets.on.nytimes.com/research/markets/usmarkets/usmarkets.asp [5/22/15] 6 - markets.wsj.com/us [5/22/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=5%2F22%2F14&x=0&y=0 [5/22/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=5%2F22%2F14&x=0&y=0 [5/22/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=5%2F22%2F14&x=0&y=0 [5/22/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=5%2F21%2F10&x=0&y=0 [5/22/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=5%2F21%2F10&x=0&y=0 [5/22/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=5%2F21%2F10&x=0&y=0 [5/22/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=5%2F23%2F05&x=0&y=0 [5/22/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=5%2F23%2F05&x=0&y=0 [5/22/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=5%2F23%2F05&x=0&y=0 [5/22/15]             8 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [5/22/15] 9 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [5/22/15]

Weekly Economic Update for the week of May 19th, 2015

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
WEEKLY QUOTE                “The truth is not simply what you think it is; it is also the circumstances in which it is said, and to whom, why and how it is said.”       - Vaclav Havel            WEEKLY TIP               Wondering what your cash flow might be like in retirement? Think about your potential income needs in your eighties and nineties as well as your sixties and seventies. Take sustained moderate inflation and the possibility of major medical expenses into account for the long term.           WEEKLY RIDDLE              No matter how little or how much you use me, you change your view of me every month. What am I?     Last week’s riddle: I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old, usually indoors and sometimes on fire. What am I?       Last week’s answer: A candle.	May 19th, 2015                         RETAIL SALES WERE FLAT IN APRIL Analysts surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast only a 0.1% advance, so this news was no shock. Still, it was disappointing after the (revised) 1.1% gain noted by the Commerce Department for March. The year-over-year improvement in the pace of retail sales was just 0.9%; last August, it reached 5.0%. Core retail sales (minus car and truck buying and fuel purchases) only increased 0.1% last month.1,2     CONSUMER SENTIMENT DIPS The decline in the preliminary May University of Michigan consumer sentiment index defied expectations. At 88.6, the index fell 7.3 points from its final April mark. A consensus forecast of analysts contacted by Reuters projected a 96.0 reading.3        PRODUCER PRICES & INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT RETREAT The Producer Price Index is still showing the impact of cheaper energy costs – it fell 0.4% in April after rising 0.2% a month earlier. According to the Federal Reserve, industrial production declined 0.3% in April, the same as in March.2    STOCKS & OIL CLIMB Light sweet crude settled at $59.69 on the NYMEX Friday, advancing for a ninth straight week – its longest weekly winning streak since 1983. As a Thursday rally offset losses from previous trading days, the Dow advanced 0.45% for the week to 18,272.56. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.89% last week to 5,048.29, the S&P 500 0.31% to 2,122.73.4,5         THIS WEEK: Urban Outfitters and Take-Two Interactive issue quarterly results Monday. On Tuesday, earnings arrive from Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, TJX, Home Depot, Red Robin, and Etsy along with data on April housing starts and groundbreaking. Minutes from April’s Federal Reserve policy meeting appear Wednesday, plus earnings from American Eagle Outfitters, Hormel, L Brands, Target, Lowe’s, NetApp, Salesforce.com, Staples and Williams-Sonoma. Thursday, Wall Street reviews April existing home sales, new initial claims numbers, April leading indicators from the Conference Board and earnings from Aeropostale, Advance Auto Parts, America’s Car-Mart, Best Buy, Booz Allen Hamilton, Intuit, Dollar Tree, The Fresh Market, Gap, Hewlett-Packard, Lions Gate Entertainment, Ross Stores, Toro and Stein Mart. Friday, Fed chair Janet Yellen speaks in Rhode Island on the outlook for the U.S. economy; in addition, April’s CPI appears plus earnings from Foot Locker, Ann, Deere & Co. and Campbell Soup.      % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG DJIA +2.52 +11.10 +14.41 +7.82 NASDAQ +6.59 +24.06 +23.02 +15.31 S&P 500 +3.10 +13.46 +17.38 +8.21 REAL YIELD 5/15 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO 10 YR TIPS 0.31% 0.31% 1.26% 1.66%   Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 5/15/156,7,8,9 Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. These returns do not include dividends. 10-year TIPS real yield = projected return at maturity given expected inflation.
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«RepresentativeDisclosure»   This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. 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. 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. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. 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. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific point in time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. 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 - marketwatch.com/story/retail-sales-flat-in-april-as-gas-savings-continue-to-be-pocketed-2015-05-13 [5/13/15] 2 - marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic [5/15/15] 3 - reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/us-usa-economy-sentiment-idUSKBN0O01IQ20150515 [5/15/15] 4 - marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-slips-on-dollar-strength-2015-05-15 [5/15/15] 5 - markets.on.nytimes.com/research/markets/usmarkets/usmarkets.asp [5/15/15] 6 - markets.wsj.com/us [5/15/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=5%2F15%2F14&x=0&y=0 [5/15/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=5%2F15%2F14&x=0&y=0 [5/15/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=5%2F15%2F14&x=0&y=0 [5/15/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=5%2F14%2F10&x=0&y=0 [5/15/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=5%2F14%2F10&x=0&y=0 [5/15/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=5%2F14%2F10&x=0&y=0 [5/15/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=5%2F16%2F05&x=0&y=0 [5/15/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=5%2F16%2F05&x=0&y=0 [5/15/15] 7 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=5%2F16%2F05&x=0&y=0 [5/15/15]              8 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [5/15/15] 9 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [5/15/15]

Economic update for the week of May 12th, 2015

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
WEEKLY QUOTE                “Don’t try to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”       - William Faulkner            WEEKLY TIP               Do you and your spouse have very similar investment portfolios? As a couple, you might want to approach the goal of investment diversification from a joint (rather than strictly individual) viewpoint.         WEEKLY RIDDLE              I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old, usually indoors and sometimes on fire. What am I?     Last week’s riddle: At times it begs to be answered, sometimes it interrupts you, but it will never ask you a question. What is it?      Last week’s answer: A phone.	May 12, 2015                         HIRING REBOUNDS IN APRIL Employers added 223,000 new jobs last month, the Labor Department noted Friday. That news made the March payroll gain of 85,000 look like an aberration. The main jobless rate fell to a 7-year low of 5.4% in April, and the U-6 rate tracking the total unemployed ticked down to 10.8%; the population of people out of work for six months or longer fell by 38,000 to 2.5 million, representing 29% of the total unemployed. Wages were up 2.2% year-over-year. 1     SERVICE SECTOR PMI REACHES 5-MONTH PEAK Rising to 57.8 for April, the Institute for Supply Management’s non-manufacturing purchasing managers’ index displayed its best reading since November. A 4.1% upturn in business activity was instrumental in the gain.2        CRUDE OIL NEARS $60 ON THE NYMEX Last week’s 0.5% advance took oil prices to a Friday settlement of $59.46. A key factor: the federal government announced a weekly inventory dip of 3.9 million barrels. In precious metals, gold gained 1.2% last week, with futures closing Friday at $1,188.00; silver advanced 2.1% for the week, platinum 1.2% and palladium 3.7%. In contrast, copper prices retreated 0.3%.3    STRONG JOBS REPORT RESCUES WALL STREET’S WEEK A Friday rally sent the major indices north. As the trading day ended, the Dow closed at 18,191.11, the Nasdaq at 5,003.55 and the S&P 500 at 2,116.10. Across five days, the Dow went +0.93%, the Nasdaq -0.04% and the S&P +0.37%.4         THIS WEEK: Euro area finance ministers begin a 2-day meeting Monday; stateside, Dean Foods and DISH Network present Q1 results. GoDaddy announces Q1 results Tuesday. Wednesday offers April retail sales numbers and the latest readings of euro area GDP and industrial output for both the euro area and China; also, earnings arrive from Abercrombie & Fitch, J. C. Penney, Macy’s, Ralph Lauren and Shake Shack. Thursday, the April Producer Price Index and the latest initial jobless claims report complement earnings from Applied Materials, El Pollo Loco, Jack in the Box, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Perry Ellis and Symantec. Friday, the University of Michigan’s initial May consumer sentiment index appears along with the Federal Reserve’s report on April industrial production.     % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG DJIA +2.06 +9.91 +15.05 +7.52 NASDAQ +5.65 +23.50 +24.17 +15.27 S&P 500 +2.78 +12.82 +18.10 +7.95 REAL YIELD 5/8 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO 10 YR TIPS 0.28% 0.42% 1.30% 1.69%   Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 5/8/155,6,7,8 Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. These returns do not include dividends. 10-year TIPS real yield = projected return at maturity given expected inflation.
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«RepresentativeDisclosure»   This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. 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. 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. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. 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. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific point in time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. 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 - usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/05/08/april-jobs-report/70971990/ [5/8/15] 2 - tradingeconomics.com/united-states/non-manufacturing-pmi [5/8/15] 3 - proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/61389/gold-climbs-06-to-1188-wti-rises-08-to-5946-61389.html [5/8/15] 4 - markets.on.nytimes.com/research/markets/usmarkets/usmarkets.asp [5/8/15] 5 - markets.wsj.com/us [5/8/15] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=5%2F8%2F14&x=0&y=0 [5/8/15] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=5%2F8%2F14&x=0&y=0 [5/8/15] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=5%2F8%2F14&x=0&y=0 [5/8/15] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=5%2F7%2F10&x=0&y=0 [5/8/15] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=5%2F7%2F10&x=0&y=0 [5/8/15] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=5%2F7%2F10&x=0&y=0 [5/8/15] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=5%2F9%2F05&x=0&y=0 [5/8/15] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=5%2F9%2F05&x=0&y=0 [5/8/15] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=5%2F9%2F05&x=0&y=0 [5/8/15] 7 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [5/8/15] 8 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [5/8/15]