Economic Update for the week of July 26th, 2017

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
WEEKLY QUOTE                “Freedom is a possession of inestimable value.”       - Cicero            WEEKLY TIP               Business owners can waste hours chasing late payments. If you have clients or customers who constantly pay late, ask yourself whether keeping them is worth the headache. It may not be.          WEEKLY RIDDLE              After badly losing an away game, a college football team doesn’t want their coach to come in and yell at them, so they put 1,000 pounds of weights against a locker room door to prevent him from opening it. He comes in and yells at them face-to-face anyway. Why are they unable to keep him from coming through the doorway?       Last week’s riddle: Multiply all the numbers on your phone’s keypad. What number do you get?        Last week’s answer: Zero.	July 26, 2017     WILL STOCKS GET AN EARNINGS BOOST? While the first full week of the Q2 earnings season saw no pronounced rallies, there were also no shocks. By Friday’s closing bell, 20% of S&P 500 member firms had reported calendar Q2 results, and a FactSet analysis showed 77% had topped sales projections and 73% had beaten earnings-per-share forecasts – a good sign in an earnings-driven market climate. The Nasdaq Composite gained 1.19% last week and settled at 6,387.75 Friday; the S&P 500 rose to 2,472.54 after a 5-day gain of 0.54%. As blue chips fell 0.27% across five trading days, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 21,580.07 Friday. All three indices hit record highs during the week.1,2   CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY SURGED IN JUNE According to a new Census Bureau report, housing starts rose 8.3% last month, while building permits were up 7.4%. That counteracts the 2.8% fall for starts and the 4.9% drop for permits in May.3     GOLD TOPS $1,250 Settling at $1,254.90 Friday, the yellow metal hit its highest COMEX close since June 23, up 2.2% in five days. Silver rose 3.3% last week to a Friday close of $16.46.4     THIS WEEK: On Monday, Alphabet, Anadarko Petroleum, Celanese, Halliburton, Hasbro, and Stanley Black & Decker present earnings, and Wall Street also considers June existing home sales numbers. Tuesday offers a new Conference Board consumer confidence index and earnings from 3M, AT&T, Ameriprise Financial, Amgen, Biogen, Caterpillar, Chipotle, Chubb, Domino’s, Eli Lilly, Express Scripts, Freeport-McMoRan, General Motors, JetBlue, McDonald’s, Mondelez, PulteGroup, Quest Diagnostics, Smart & Final, Supervalu, Texas Instruments, U.S. Steel, and Universal Health. The Federal Reserve makes a policy statement Wednesday; investors will also look at June new home sales data and earnings from Anthem, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Corning, D.R. Horton, Discover, Facebook, Ford Motor Co., General Dynamics, Gilead Sciences, Hilton Worldwide, Ingersoll-Rand, O’Reilly, PayPal, Public Storage, Rent-A-Center, Rockwell Automation, Ryder System, State Street, Waste Management, West Marine, Whirlpool, and Whole Foods. Data on initial claims and June hard goods orders appears Thursday, plus earnings from Aflac, Ally Financial, Altria Group, Amazon, Baidu, Bristol-Myers Squibb, ConocoPhillips, Dow Chemical, Dr. Pepper Snapple, Dunkin’ Brands, Edison International, Expedia, Intel, Procter & Gamble, Raytheon, Revlon, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Starbucks, Twitter, UPS, Valero Energy, Verizon, W.R. Grace, and Xerox. July’s final University of Michigan consumer sentiment index and the first Q2 GDP estimate appear Friday, plus earnings from American Airlines, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Magellan Health, and Merck.    % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG DJIA +9.20 +16.54 +13.66 +5.58 NASDAQ +18.66 +25.89 +23.67 +13.77 S&P 500 +10.44 +14.20 +16.29 +6.12 REAL YIELD 7/21 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO 10 YR TIPS 0.48% 0.05% -0.67% 2.60%   Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 7/21/172,5,6,7 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. The information herein has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. 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 market indices discussed are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. Indices do not incur management fees, costs and expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. All economic and performance data is historical and not indicative of future results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a 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 a market-cap weighted index composed of the common stocks of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. 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. MarketingPro, Inc. is not affiliated with any person or firm that may be providing this information to you. 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 - cnbc.com/2017/07/21/us-stocks-ge-drops-earnings-season-oil.html [7/21/17] 2 - markets.wsj.com/us [7/21/17] 3 - investing.com/economic-calendar/ [7/21/17] 4 - marketwatch.com/story/gold-tries-for-most-robust-weekly-rise-in-two-months-as-dollar-drops-2017-07-21 [7/21/17] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=7%2F21%2F16&x=0&y=0 [7/21/17] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=7%2F21%2F16&x=0&y=0 [7/21/17] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=7%2F21%2F16&x=0&y=0 [7/21/17] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=7%2F20%2F12&x=0&y=0 [7/21/17] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=7%2F20%2F12&x=0&y=0 [7/21/17] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=7%2F20%2F12&x=0&y=0 [7/21/17] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=7%2F20%2F07&x=0&y=0 [7/21/17] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=7%2F20%2F07&x=0&y=0 [7/21/17] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=7%2F20%2F07&x=0&y=0 [7/21/17] 6 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [7/21/17] 7 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [7/21/17]

Economic Update for the week of July 19th, 2017

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
WEEKLY QUOTE                “Competition is a painful thing, but it produces great results.”       - Jerry Flint            WEEKLY TIP               Disability insurance can help to protect your income if you are too sick or hurt to work. If employer-provided disability insurance is absent or inadequate, look at buying a personal policy.          WEEKLY RIDDLE              Multiply all the numbers on your phone’s keypad. What number do you get?     Last week’s riddle: What goes up and down stairs without moving in many homes and offices?        Last week’s answer: Carpet.	July 19, 2017     INFLATION PRESSURE WEAKENS The Consumer Price Index was unchanged in June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That left its yearly advance at only 1.6%, nearly half a point below the Federal Reserve’s target (the core CPI was up 1.7%). After the announcement, some economists and market strategists wondered whether the Fed would rethink its plans for a third interest rate hike in 2017. The Producer Price Index rose 0.1% in June, leaving its yearly increase at 2.0%.1,2     RETAIL SALES, CONSUMER SENTIMENT INDEX DECLINE For the second month in a row, households scaled back their retail purchases – retail sales were down 0.2% in June following a 0.1% May decline. Core sales fell 0.2% after a May retreat of 0.3%. The University of Michigan’s preliminary July consumer sentiment index lost 2.0 points off its final June mark to a reading of 93.1.1,2   OIL RALLIES A projection of rising demand and news of a pipeline shutdown in Nigeria sent the price of light sweet crude 5.2% higher in a week. WTI crude settled at $46.54 on the NYMEX Friday, its best close since July 3.3     DOW ENTERS RECORD TERRITORY AGAIN Friday, the Dow 30 notched its third straight record close: 21,637.74. At the same time, the S&P 500 also settled at a new record of 2,459.27. The Nasdaq Composite finished Friday’s market day at 6,312.47, a half-percent away from its all-time peak. For the week, the Dow rose 1.04%; the S&P, 1.41%; the Nasdaq, 2.59%.4,5     THIS WEEK: Monday’s earnings parade includes announcements from BlackRock, Charles Schwab, J.B. Hunt, and Netflix. On Tuesday, Wall Street examines earnings from Bank of America, CSX, Comerica, Goldman Sachs, Harley-Davidson, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, TD Ameritrade, and UnitedHealth Group. Wednesday sees data on June housing starts and building permits, plus earnings from American Express, Fidelity National Financial, Morgan Stanley, Northern Trust, Qualcomm, T-Mobile, U.S. Bancorp, United Rentals, and W.W. Grainger. A new weekly initial claims report arrives Thursday, plus earnings news from Abbott Labs, Alliance Data Systems, American Airlines Group, BB&T, BoNY Mellon, Capital One, Cintas, eBay, E*TRADE, GATX, KeyCorp, Microsoft, NCR, Nucor, Philip Morris, Sherwin-Williams, Skechers, Snap-On, Travelers Companies, Union Pacific, Visa, and Whirlpool. On Friday, Colgate-Palmolive, Fifth Third Bancorp, General Electric, Honeywell International, Regions Financial, Schlumberger, and SunTrust Banks present earnings.    % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG DJIA +9.49 +16.92 +13.87 +5.56 NASDAQ +17.26 +25.40 +23.41 +13.32 S&P 500 +9.85 +13.66 +16.25 +5.84 REAL YIELD 7/14 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO 10 YR TIPS 0.57% 0.08% -0.59% 2.73%   Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 7/14/175,6,7,8 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. The information herein has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. 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 market indices discussed are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. Indices do not incur management fees, costs and expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. All economic and performance data is historical and not indicative of future results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a 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 a market-cap weighted index composed of the common stocks of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. 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. MarketingPro, Inc. is not affiliated with any person or firm that may be providing this information to you. 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 - cnbc.com/2017/07/14/lack-of-inflation-raises-new-doubts-about-fed-ability-to-hike-interest-rates-this-year.html [7/14/17] 2 - investing.com/economic-calendar/ [7/14/17] 3 - marketwatch.com/story/oil-gains-pause-but-optimism-remains-after-iea-report-2017-07-14 [7/14/17] 4 - money.cnn.com/2017/07/14/investing/dow-record-trump-rally-wall-street/index.html [7/14/17] 5 - markets.wsj.com/us [7/14/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=7%2F14%2F16&x=0&y=0 [7/14/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=7%2F14%2F16&x=0&y=0 [7/14/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=7%2F14%2F16&x=0&y=0 [7/14/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=7%2F13%2F12&x=0&y=0 [7/14/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=7%2F13%2F12&x=0&y=0 [7/14/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=7%2F13%2F12&x=0&y=0 [7/14/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=7%2F13%2F07&x=0&y=0 [7/14/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=7%2F13%2F07&x=0&y=0 [7/14/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=7%2F13%2F07&x=0&y=0 [7/14/17] 7 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [7/14/17] 8 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [7/14/17]

Economic Update for the week of July 5th, 2017

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
WEEKLY QUOTE                “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.”       - Jane Goodall            WEEKLY TIP               Millennials who create a budget can get a clear picture of their cash flow and income and thereby figure out exactly how much they can afford to contribute to retirement savings accounts.          WEEKLY RIDDLE              I have an eye, yet cannot see the ground around me. I take time to generate, yet in seconds I can dissipate. What am I?     Last week’s riddle: Tom tells Phillip that a faded, worn ten-dollar bill is worth more than a newer one. In what way is he correct?        Last week’s answer: A ten-dollar bill will always be worth more than a newer one (a one-dollar bill).	July 5 , 2017     HOUSEHOLD EARNINGS OUTPACE SPENDING According to newly released Department of Commerce data, personal incomes improved 0.4% in May, but personal spending advanced just 0.1% after a 0.4% gain in April. Core consumer prices (minus food and energy costs) rose only 1.4% during the 12 months ending in May.1,2,3     WERE CONSUMERS MORE CONFIDENT IN JUNE? By the looks of the University of Michigan’s monthly household sentiment index, no – that gauge fell 2.0 points to a mark of 95.1. On the other hand, the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index rose 1.3 points to a reading of 118.9.2,3   PENDING HOME SALES WEAKEN A National Association of Realtors report showed housing contract activity declining by 0.8% in May. This follows a 1.7% dip for pending home sales in April.3 First-Quarter GDP REVISED HIGHER Apparently, the opening three months of 2017 were not as economically sluggish as first thought. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released its third, concluding estimate of Q1 growth Thursday, modifying the number again to 1.4% from the previous revision to 1.2%.3     TECH SHARES SELL OFF AGAIN, STOCKS RETREAT Volatility resurfaced in the tech and health care sectors last week, and as institutional investors reduced their holdings in firms within those industries, the effect rippled through all three major equity indices. For the week, the S&P 500 fell 0.61% to a Friday settlement of 2,423.41. The Nasdaq Composite slumped 1.99% to 6,140.42 by Friday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the week 0.21% lower at 21,349.63. Even so, Wall Street can look back on a fine first half for stocks. The S&P 500 just recorded its best 6-month gain since 2013.4,5     THIS WEEK: Wall Street takes a half-day on Monday, with stock trading wrapping up at 1:00pm EST; during the abbreviated session, investors will consider the June ISM factory PMI. Stock and bond markets are closed Tuesday for the July 4th holiday. Minutes from the June Federal Reserve policy meeting arrive Wednesday, plus May factory orders data. Thursday, the latest Challenger job-cut report and ADP payrolls report complement new initial claims figures and ISM’s June service sector PMI. On Friday, the Department of Labor issues its June employment report, and the Federal Reserve Board hands its semi-annual monetary policy report to Congress.    % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG DJIA +8.03 +19.07 +13.15 +5.92 NASDAQ +14.07 +26.80 +21.84 +13.59 S&P 500 +8.24 +15.46 +15.58 +6.12 REAL YIELD 6/30 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO 10 YR TIPS 0.58% 0.48% -0.46% 2.65%   Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 6/30/175,6,7,8 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.
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.
«RepresentativeDisclosure»   This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. The information herein has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. 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 market indices discussed are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. Indices do not incur management fees, costs and expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. All economic and performance data is historical and not indicative of future results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a 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 a market-cap weighted index composed of the common stocks of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. 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. MarketingPro, Inc. is not affiliated with any person or firm that may be providing this information to you. 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 - cnbc.com/2017/06/30/us-personal-income-may-2017.html [6/30/17] 2 - sca.isr.umich.edu [6/30/17] 3 - marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic [6/30/17] 4 - marketwatch.com/story/stocks-end-mostly-higher-to-book-best-half-year-gains-in-years-2017-06-30 [6/30/17] 5 - markets.wsj.com/us [6/30/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=6%2F30%2F16&x=0&y=0 [6/30/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=6%2F30%2F16&x=0&y=0 [6/30/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=6%2F30%2F16&x=0&y=0 [6/30/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=6%2F29%2F12&x=0&y=0 [6/30/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=6%2F29%2F12&x=0&y=0 [6/30/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=6%2F29%2F12&x=0&y=0 [6/30/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=6%2F29%2F07&x=0&y=0 [6/30/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=6%2F29%2F07&x=0&y=0 [6/30/17] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=6%2F29%2F07&x=0&y=0 [6/30/17] 7 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [6/30/17] 8 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [6/30/17]