Category Archives: Commentary
MARKET WEEK: JULY 30, 2018
THE MARKETS (AS OF MARKET CLOSE JULY 27, 2018)
Tech stocks and small caps took a hit last week as both the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 lost value. The large caps of both the S&P 500 and the Dow closed in positive territory following a turbulent week of trading. Of note last week was the descent in value taken by a major social media company, which lost over $120 billion in market value. Even with the loss, the company’s value remains one of the highest in the world. Trade tensions between the United States and the European Union were eased somewhat last week as negotiations between the economic giants are ongoing. Conversely, relations between China and the United States remain icy. Long-term Treasury prices fell last week, sending yields higher as reports intimated that more restrictive monetary policies of some major central banks are in the offing.
The price of crude oil (WTI) fell again last week, closing at $69.00 per barrel, down from the prior week’s closing price of $70.31 per barrel. The price of gold (COMEX) advanced slightly last week, closing at $1,232.60 by early Friday evening, up from the prior week’s price of $1,231.30. The national average retail regular gasoline price climbed to $2.831 per gallon on July 23, 2018, $0.034 lower than the prior week’s price but $0.519 higher than a year ago.
HIGHER STICKER PRICES
MARKET WEEK: JULY 23, 2018
THE MARKETS (AS OF MARKET CLOSE JULY 20, 2018)
Last week stocks held their own for the most part, with the Dow and S&P 500 posting marginal gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell slightly, while the small caps of the Russell 2000 gained better than half a percent and the Global Dow jumped ahead about a quarter of a percent. Both the dollar and government bond prices reacted to President Trump’s criticism of the Fed for raising interest rates, while claiming the European Union and China were “manipulating their currencies and interest rates lower.” The dollar fell nearly 7.0% and the yield on 10-year Treasuries increased 6 basis points as bond prices fell.
HOW WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT FROM MEN, FINANCIALLY SPEAKING
We all know men and women are different in some fundamental ways. But is this true when it comes to financial planning? In a word, yes. In the financial world, women often find themselves in very different circumstances than their male counterparts.
Everyone wants financial security. Yet women often face financial headwinds that can affect their ability to achieve it. The good news is that women today have never been in a better position to achieve financial security for themselves and their families.
More women than ever are successful professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs, and knowledgeable investors. Their economic clout is growing, and women’s impact on the traditional workplace is still unfolding positively as women earn college and graduate degrees in record numbers and seek to successfully integrate their work and home lives to provide for their families. So what financial course will you chart?
MARKET WEEK: JULY 16, 2018
THE MARKETS (AS OF MARKET CLOSE JULY 13, 2018)
Stocks posted gains for the second week in a row following some good corporate earnings reports. Each of the indexes listed here improved, except for the small caps of the Russell 2000, which dipped less than a half a point. Year-to-date, only the Global Dow remains behind its 2017 closing value. For the week, the Dow climbed a solid 2.30%, followed by the Nasdaq, the S&P 500, and the Global Dow.
PAIN AT THE PUMP: WHY DOES IT COST MORE TO FILL YOUR TANK?
The Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of the summer driving season, and — not coincidentally — often a high point in the annual ups and downs of gas prices. This year, almost 37 million drivers hit the road and faced the highest fuel costs since 2014. The national average price for a gallon of unleaded gas was $2.97, up $0.60 from Memorial Day 2017. The price in California, the most expensive state for gasoline, averaged $3.74 per gallon.1
Prices at the pump eased off a little in June, but motorists can expect an expensive summer behind the wheel. If you’re like most consumers, you may feel that you’re playing gas-price roulette every time you fill the tank. Why are prices so volatile? And why is the trend so much higher now than last year?
MARKET WEEK: JULY 9, 2018
THE MARKETS (AS OF MARKET CLOSE JULY 6, 2018)
A positive labor report may have been enough to offset investor concerns about the tit-for-tat tariff war between the United States and its trade partners as stocks posted positive returns by last week’s end. Trading volumes were relatively light, as expected, during the holiday-shortened week. As has been the case for much of the year, the tech-heavy Nasdaq and the small caps of the Russell 2000 enjoyed the largest weekly gains, followed by the large caps of the S&P 500, the Global Dow, and the Dow.
MARKET WEEK: JULY 2, 2018
THE MARKETS (AS OF MARKET CLOSE JUNE 29, 2018)
The benchmark indexes listed here continued to trend downward, losing value for the second week in a row. The Russell 2000 and the Nasdaq, both of which had been the leading performers for much of the year, suffered the biggest weekly losses, followed by the S&P 500, the Dow, and the Global Dow. While energy shares performed well on the heels of oil prices reaching a four-year high, overall fears of worsening trade relations between the United States and several of its trade partners pulled investors away from stocks.
Read the rest of the story: https://financialgroup.com/2018/07/market-week-july-2-2018/
MARKET WEEK: JUNE 18, 2018
THE MARKETS (AS OF MARKET CLOSE JUNE 15, 2018)
Market gains achieved earlier in the week were given back by last Friday as investors appeared to react to China’s retaliatory tariffs on American exports. The deteriorating relationship between the United States and China escalated last week as the Trump administration revealed plans to impose tariffs of 25% on a significant number of Chinese imports. In response, China targeted U.S. exports, including cars and crude oil, for similar tariffs. By the end of the week, the Dow fell the most, suffering through its largest one-week loss since March. Other than the Global Dow, the remaining indexes listed here posted gains, with the Nasdaq climbing over 1.30%. The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged, and the Russell 2000 gained over 0.50%.
Read the rest of the story: https://financialgroup.com/2018/06/market-week-june-18-2018/