Presented by Mark Lund, The Investor Coach.
WEEKLY QUOTE
“Sweet are the slumbers of the virtuous man.”
– Joseph Addison
AN UNDERWHELMING RETAIL SALES REPORT
Holiday shopping was strong … or was it? The Census Bureau’s newest monthly retail sales data indicated only a 0.1% gain for December. Yet in the big picture, 2011 was the best year for retail sales since 1999. Total retail sales rose 7.7% last year, online and catalog sales were up 10.6% and overall sales have now improved about 20% from the depths hit during the Great Recession.1,2
CONSUMER SENTIMENT INDEX INCREASES
The University of Michigan’s preliminary January consumer sentiment survey showed further improvement, with a gain from 69.9 to 74.0; the best reading since last May and better than the 71.5 economists polled by Reuters anticipated.3
NEW BEIGE BOOK NOTES IMPROVING ECONOMY
The Federal Reserve’s new economic snapshot of its 12 banking districts showed 11 noting economic growth. The anecdotal survey noted improvement in auto and retail sales, manufacturing and consumer spending in the last six weeks of 2011.4
S&P CUTS CREDIT RATINGS OF 9 EU NATIONS
After U.S. markets closed Friday, Standard & Poor’s downgraded a third of the European Union: it took France from AAA to AA+, cut ratings for Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta by a notch and booted the ratings of Italy, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus down two notches. S&P said the EU’s debt reduction plan lacks “sufficient size or scope”. Additionally, EU talks on restructuring Greek debt fell apart Friday.5
STOCKS ON A WINNING STREAK
The S&P 500 posted its second straight weekly gain across January 9-13, rising 0.88% to 1,289.09. The DJIA rose 1.67% to 12,422.06 and the NASDAQ gained 1.36% to 2,710.67. Last week also saw gains for the U.S. Dollar Index (0.24%) and COMEX gold (0.87%).5,6
THIS WEEK: U.S. financial markets are closed Monday for the federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Tuesday, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Charles Schwab issue earnings reports. Wednesday, the December PPI arrives and we will have Q4 earnings from eBay and assorted financial heavy hitters: Goldman Sachs, Bank of NY Mellon, State Street, Northern Trust, PNC Bank and US Bancorp. Thursday, we have December’s CPI, a new initial jobless claims report and Q4 results from more big names: Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, AmEx, IBM, Microsoft, Google, Sony Ericsson, UnitedHealth and Capital One. Friday, last month’s existing home sales figures will be released along with earnings from GE.
% CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG
DJIA +1.67 +5.88 -0.21 +2.56
NASDAQ +4.05 -0.90 +1.66 +3.62
S&P 500 +2.50 +0.42 -1.98 +1.32
REAL YIELD 1/13 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS -0.14% 0.97% 2.49% 3.48%
Sources: money.msn.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov, treasurydirect.gov – 1/13/121,5,7,8,9 Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. These returns do not include dividends.
WEEKLY TIP
If your monthly bank statement comes with a fee disclosure, it may be a big hint that fee hikes are coming your way.
WEEKLY RIDDLE
Create a 13-letter word using all 13 of the following letters: O A I I S T T R R D N A M.
Last week’s riddle:
What is worn by the foot and often bought by the yard?
Last week’s answer:
Carpet.
Citations.
1 – www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf [1/12/12]
2 – www.chron.com/business/article/Retail-had-record-year-but-eased-in-December-2490293.php [1/12/12]
3 – www.nytimes.com/2012/01/14/business/economy/trade-deficit-and-consumer-sentiment-rise.html [1/14/12]
4 – www.usatoday.com/money/economy/fed/beigebook/story/2012-01-11/fed-beige-book-january/52500550/1 [1/11/12]
5 – money.msn.com/market-news/post.aspx?post=a677f0ec-38f9-432c-bbc1-fb98c5362013 [1/13/12]
6 – montoyaregistry.com/Financial-Market.aspx?financial-market=common-financial-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them&category=29 [1/13/12]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F13%2F11&x=0&y=0 [1/13/12]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F13%2F11&x=0&y=0 [1/13/12]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F13%2F11&x=0&y=0 [1/13/12]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F12%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/13/12]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F12%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/13/12]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F12%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/13/12]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F14%2F02&x=0&y=0 [1/13/12]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F14%2F02&x=0&y=0 [1/13/12]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F14%2F02&x=0&y=0 [1/13/12]
8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [1/13/12]
8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [1/13/12]
9 – treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2002/ofm10902.pdf [1/9/02]
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. 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. Stonecreek Wealth Advisors Inc., A fee-only registered investment advisor firm in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mark Lund is the author of The Effective Investor.
