Economic Update for the week of April 25th, 2018

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
WEEKLY QUOTE                “Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”        - William Faulkner            WEEKLY TIP               If you are a single parent, prioritize saving for retirement over paying college tuition. Helping your child with college costs is great, but not if it places your retirement at risk.       WEEKLY RIDDLE              It is clear, yet it muddies things. It arrives, but it falls down and quickly runs away. What is it?     Last week’s riddle: The oldest of two sisters is 4 years old. The little sister is half her age. When the big sister is 100, how old will the little sister be?       Last week’s answer: 98 years old.	April 25, 2018     CONSUMERS BOUGHT MORE IN MARCH According to a report from the Department of Commerce, retail sales jumped 0.6% last month. That was the biggest monthly gain recorded since November (and the first monthly advance of 2018). Sales of cars and trucks were up 2.0%, making March the best month for that category since September.1    CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY INCREASES New Census Bureau data shows housing starts improved 1.9% in March; also, building permits rose 2.5%. In February, permits fell 4.1% and starts declined 3.3%.2      INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT RISES 0.5% This March gain reported by the Federal Reserve followed a (revised) 1.0% advance for February. Industrial production was up 4.3% year-over-year through March.2     GAINS ON WALL STREET All three key U.S. equity indices advanced last week: the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.56%; the S&P 500, 0.52%; the Dow Industrials, 0.42%. Friday’s settlements: Nasdaq, 7146.13; S&P, 2,670.14; Dow, 24,462.94. The yield on the 10-year note hit 2.96% Friday, a high unmatched since January 2014.3,4       THIS WEEK: Alaska Air, Alphabet, Ameriprise Financial, Halliburton, Hasbro, Kimberly-Clark, TD Ameritrade, and Whirlpool announce earnings on Monday, when investors will also eye the latest existing home sales numbers. March new home sales figures and a new Conference Board consumer confidence index are out Tuesday, plus earnings news from 3M, Biogen, Capital One, Caterpillar, Chubb, Coca-Cola, Corning, Eli Lilly, Fifth Third, Freeport-McMoRan, JetBlue, Lockheed Martin, NextEra Energy, Pulte Group, Ryder, Texas Instruments, Travelers, and Verizon. On Wednesday, Aflac, Anthem, AT&T, Boeing, Chipotle, Comcast, eBay, Facebook, Ford Motor Co., Goodyear, Ingersoll-Rand, Kaiser Aluminum, Norfolk Southern, Northrop Grumman, Owens Corning, PayPal, Peabody Energy, Penske, Public Storage, Qualcomm, Raymond James, Rockwell Automation, Twitter, Universal Health Services, Viacom, Visa, and W.R. Grace report results. Thursday, earnings emerge from Ally, Altria, Amazon, Amgen, Bristol-Myers, ConocoPhillips, D.R. Horton, Discover, Domino’s, Dunkin’ Brands, Expedia, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Hilton Worldwide, Intel, MGM Resorts, Microsoft, Nokia, PepsiCo, Raytheon, Royal Dutch Shell, SkyWest, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Starbucks, Time Warner, Union Pacific, and Western Digital. Friday, earnings from Chevron, Colgate-Palmolive, ExxonMobil, Honda, Philips 66, Spectrum, and Weyerhaeuser coincide with the University of Michigan’s final April consumer sentiment index and the first estimate of Q1 GDP.    % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG DJIA -1.04 +18.87 +13.63 +9.07 NASDAQ +3.52 +20.78 +24.58 +19.68 S&P 500 -0.13 +13.34 +14.34 +9.23 REAL YIELD 4/20 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO 10 YR TIPS 0.79% 0.39% -0.59% 1.44%   Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 4/20/183,5,6,7 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 - tinyurl.com/y6u52yj4 [4/16/18] 2 - investing.com/economic-calendar/ [4/17/18] 3 - markets.wsj.com/us [4/20/18] 4 - marketwatch.com/story/treasurys-continue-to-sell-off-as-10-year-yield-hits-more-than-four-year-high-2018-04-20 [4/20/18] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=4%2F20%2F17&x=0&y=0 [4/20/18] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=4%2F20%2F17&x=0&y=0 [4/20/18] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=4%2F20%2F17&x=0&y=0 [4/20/18] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=4%2F19%2F13&x=0&y=0 [4/20/18] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=4%2F19%2F13&x=0&y=0 [4/20/18] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=4%2F19%2F13&x=0&y=0 [4/20/18] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=4%2F21%2F08&x=0&y=0 [4/20/18] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=4%2F21%2F08&x=0&y=0 [4/20/18] 5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=4%2F21%2F08&x=0&y=0 [4/20/18] 6 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [4/20/18] 7 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [4/20/18]

Economic Update for the week of April 18th, 2018

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
WEEKLY QUOTE                “Truth burns up error.”        - Sojourner Truth            WEEKLY TIP               As your career in the medical, legal, or tech sector progresses, you may build significant wealth, and you may need more than just term life insurance. Later in life, you could face issues that call for liquidity after your death. Permanent life insurance may help to address them.        WEEKLY RIDDLE              The oldest of two sisters is 4 years old. The little sister is half her age. When the big sister is 100, how old will the little sister be?     Last week’s riddle: When you say its name, it is no longer there. What is it?       Last week’s answer: Silence.	April 18, 2018     CONSUMER SENTIMENT INDEX DESCENDS SLIGHTLY In its initial April edition, the University of Michigan’s survey of household sentiment saw its index decline to 97.8 from its final March reading of 101.4. The survey’s chief economist, Richard Curtin, believed that “uncertainty surrounding the evolving [U.S.] trade policy” affected the reading, but he added that “confidence still remains relatively high.”1    A SURPRISE RETREAT FOR THE HEADLINE CPI Economists polled by Briefing.com assumed the Consumer Price Index would rise 0.1% in March. Instead, it fell by that amount, largely due to a dip in gasoline costs. Core consumer inflation increased 0.2% and matched their expectations. Looking at the big picture, the Department of Labor said that consumer prices were up 2.4% year-over-year through March.2,3      OIL SOARS AS POSSIBILITY OF SYRIA STRIKE LOOMS Light sweet crude rose 8.6% in five days on the NYMEX, breaking a 2-week losing streak and settling at $67.39 Friday. That was oil’s best close since December 2014.4     StOCKS CLIMB AS EARNINGS SEASON BEGINS Less anxiety about tariffs and renewed optimism about tech and financial shares led the market higher last week. The S&P 500 gained 1.99% in five days to settle at 2,656.30 Friday. The Dow Industrials rose 1.79% to a Friday close of 24,360.14, and the Nasdaq Composite added 2.77%, wrapping up Friday’s trading day at 7,106.65. Wall Street’s “fear index,” the CBOE VIX, declined 18.99% for the week.5       THIS WEEK: On Monday, Bank of America, Celanese, and Netflix present Q1 results, and March retail sales numbers also arrive. Tuesday, earnings from Comerica, CSX, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Northern Trust, and UnitedHealth appear, plus data on March construction activity. Wednesday’s earnings roll call includes Abbott Labs, Alcoa, American Express, Fred’s, Morgan Stanley, U.S. Bancorp, and United Rentals; investors will also consider a new Federal Reserve Beige Book.  BoNY Mellon, BB&T, Blackstone Group, E*TRADE, GATX, KeyCorp, Novartis AG, Nucor, Pentair, Philip Morris, Quest Diagnostics, Snap-On, Sonoco Products, and W.W. Grainger report earnings on Thursday, when new initial jobless claims numbers are also released. GE, Honeywell International, Procter & Gamble, Regions Financial, Schlumberger, State Street, SunTrust Banks, and Waste Management announce earnings Friday.    % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG DJIA -1.45 +19.10 +12.78 +9.80 NASDAQ +2.94 +22.42 +23.14 +21.23 S&P 500 -0.65 +14.06 +13.44 +10.00 REAL YIELD 4/13 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO 10 YR TIPS 0.69% 0.32% -0.68% 1.23%   Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 4/13/185,6,7,8 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 - sca.isr.umich.edu/ [4/13/18] 2 - briefing.com/investor/calendars/economic/2018/04/09-13 [4/13/18] 3 - foxbusiness.com/markets/us-consumer-prices-post-first-drop-in-10-months-on-weak-gasoline [4/11/18] 4 - marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-post-first-weekly-gain-in-three-weeks-2018-04-13 [4/13/18]   5 - markets.wsj.com/us [4/13/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=4%2F13%2F17&x=0&y=0 [4/13/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=4%2F13%2F17&x=0&y=0 [4/13/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=4%2F13%2F17&x=0&y=0 [4/13/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=4%2F12%2F13&x=0&y=0 [4/13/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=4%2F12%2F13&x=0&y=0 [4/13/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=4%2F12%2F13&x=0&y=0 [4/13/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=4%2F14%2F08&x=0&y=0 [4/13/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=4%2F14%2F08&x=0&y=0 [4/13/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=4%2F14%2F08&x=0&y=0 [4/13/18] 7 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [4/13/18] 8 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [4/13/18]

Economic Update for the week of April 12th, 2018

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
WEEKLY QUOTE                “No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently.”        - Agnes de Mille            WEEKLY TIP               If you are divorcing, be sure to call the card issuers of your joint credit card accounts. Let them know that you are going through a divorce and that you would like to cancel the joint account and open one in your name alone.       WEEKLY RIDDLE              When you say its name, it is no longer there. What is it?     Last week’s riddle: Weight within my stomach, trees on my back, nails in my ribs, and feet I lack. What am I?       Last week’s answer: A ship.	April 12, 2018     HIRING WEAKENED IN MARCH Payrolls expanded by only 103,000 net new jobs last month, according to the latest employment report from the Department of Labor. Some economists wondered if harsh weather distorted the number (job growth was also poor in March 2015 and March 2017). The main jobless rate stayed at 4.1%; the broader U-6 rate, counting the underemployed, fell 0.2% to 8.0%, an 11-year low. Yearly wage growth was at 2.7%. Lastly, February’s huge net job gain was revised up by 13,000 to 326,000.1      TRADE TENSIONS PERSIST Thursday night, the Trump administration announced the possibility of $100 billion of additional tariffs on Chinese imports. In response, the Chinese government issued a statement saying it would “fight back firmly.” Earlier on Thursday, China had presented a list of U.S. goods that could face up to $50 billion in future excise taxes in that nation. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin told the media Friday afternoon that U.S. and Chinese officials are both pursuing a resolution to the tariffs battle, stating: “We’re absolutely willing to negotiate.”2      ISM INDICES: ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE MONTH The Institute for Supply Management’s two closely watched purchasing manager indices were lower in March, but their readings still indicated burgeoning U.S. service and factory sectors. ISM’s service sector PMI declined 0.7 points to a mark of 58.8, while its manufacturing industry PMI settled 1.5 points lower at 59.3.3     APRIL BEGINS WITH VOLATILITY After five days of rollercoastering, the major stock indices ended the week notably lower, as investor worries about tariffs and tech giants continued. Across five trading sessions, the S&P 500 fell 1.38% to 2,604.47; the Nasdaq Composite, 2.10% to 6,915.11; the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 0.71% to 23,932.76. Oil prices fell 4.6% for the week over concerns about U.S.-China trade and a boost in the number of rigs in operation.4,5       THIS WEEK: Nothing major is slated for Monday. The March Producer Price Index appears on Tuesday. Minutes from the last Federal Reserve policy meeting arrive Wednesday, along with the March Consumer Price Index and quarterly results from Bed Bath & Beyond and Fastenal. On Thursday, BlackRock and Rite Aid present earnings, and investors also consider the latest initial claims figures. Earnings season is in full swing Friday with announcements from Citigroup, Infosys, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Financial Services Group, and Wells Fargo; complementing all that, the University of Michigan releases its preliminary April consumer sentiment index.    % CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG DJIA -3.18 +15.82 +12.86 +8.98 NASDAQ +0.17 +17.62 +23.17 +19.24 S&P 500 -2.59 +10.48 +13.54 +8.98 REAL YIELD 4/6 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO 10 YR TIPS 0.70% 0.39% -0.74% 1.23%   Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 4/6/184,6,7,8 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/2018/04/06/nonfarm-payrolls-march-2018.html [4/6/18] 2 - usnews.com/news/business/articles/2018-04-06/the-latest-china-says-it-will-fight-us-tariffs-at-any-cost [4/6/18] 3 - instituteforsupplymanagement.org/ISMReport/NonMfgROB.cfm?navItemNumber=31046&SSO=1 [4/4/18] 4 - markets.wsj.com/us [4/6/18] 5 - marketwatch.com/story/oil-futures-end-23-lower-amid-trade-worries-rising-rig-count-2018-04-06/ [4/6/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=4%2F6%2F17&x=0&y=0 [4/6/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=4%2F6%2F17&x=0&y=0 [4/6/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=4%2F6%2F17&x=0&y=0 [4/6/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=4%2F5%2F13&x=0&y=0 [4/6/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=4%2F5%2F13&x=0&y=0 [4/6/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=4%2F5%2F13&x=0&y=0 [4/6/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=4%2F7%2F08&x=0&y=0 [4/6/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=4%2F7%2F08&x=0&y=0 [4/6/18] 6 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=4%2F7%2F08&x=0&y=0 [4/6/18] 7 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [4/6/18] 8 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [4/6/18]