FEBRUARY SAW A HIRING SURGE
Payroll growth was truly impressive last month. According to the latest Department of Labor report, employers added 313,000 net new jobs, including 61,000 in the construction industry; economists polled by Reuters projected a total February gain of 200,000. With the labor force participation rate reaching a 6-month high, the headline jobless rate stayed at 4.1% and the broader U-6 rate at 8.2%. Yearly wage growth declined to 2.6%.1
SERVICE BUSINESSES ARE THRIVING
The Institute for Supply Management’s February snapshot of service industry growth was quite positive. ISM’s non-manufacturing purchasing manager index did wane slightly, losing 0.4 points to 59.5, but the reading shows a very healthy service sector. January’s 59.9 mark was the best seen since August 2005.2
WTI CRUDE TOPS $62
As Wall Street’s closing bell sounded Friday, oil settled at $62.04. A 3% Friday gain left the commodity up for the week, even after the Energy Information Agency said that daily U.S. output had increased to nearly 10.4 million barrels, a record.3
FRIDAY RALLY ENDS BULLISH WEEK
A strong jobs report surpassed forecasts, and the dip in annualized wage growth hinted at manageable inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 441 points Friday. The blue chips gained 3.25% in five days to wrap up the week at 25,335.74. Across five trading sessions, the S&P 500 rose 3.54% to 2,786.57, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 4.17% to 7,560.81 – a new record close for that tech-heavy benchmark.4,5
THIS WEEK: Nothing major is slated for Monday. February’s Consumer Price Index arrives Tuesday, plus quarterly results from Dick’s Sporting Goods and DSW. Investors consider reports on February retail sales and wholesale inflation on Wednesday, along with earnings news from Del Taco, Smart & Final, Smith Micro, Stein Mart, Tailored Brands, and Williams-Sonoma. Wall Street looks at new initial claims figures Thursday, and earnings from Broadcom Ltd., Dollar General, Jabil, and Lifetime Brands. On Friday, the Census Bureau releases data on February housing starts and building permits, the University of Michigan publishes its preliminary March consumer sentiment index, and Kirkland’s, Perry Ellis, and Tiffany & Co. make earnings announcements.
% CHANGE Y-T-D 1-YR CHG 5-YR AVG 10-YR AVG
DJIA +2.49 +21.47 +15.20 +11.58
NASDAQ +9.52 +29.49 +26.61 +24.85
S&P 500 +4.22 +17.83 +15.93 +11.88
REAL YIELD 3/9 RATE 1 YR AGO 5 YRS AGO 10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS 0.78% 0.60% -0.50% 0.90%
Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 3/9/184,6,7,8
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.
WEEKLY QUOTE
“Focusing is about saying no.”
– Steve Jobs
WEEKLY TIP
Small business budgeting includes defining your risks. As a first step, detail your monthly, guaranteed income and expenses to help determine your level of liquidity. This may help you recognize potential long-term and short-term risks.
WEEKLY RIDDLE
Nate gets messages every day from people who want his services, yet he gets paid when he drives away his customers. What does he do for a living?
Last week’s riddle:
It can hold back cattle, pets, and even people, but never with an order or a command. What is it?
Last week’s answer:
A fence.
Citations.
1 – cnbc.com/2018/03/09/nonfarm-payrolls-february.html [3/9/18]
2 – briefing.com/Investor/Calendars/Economic/Releases/napmserv.htm [3/9/18]
3 – investing.com/news/commodities-news/crude-oil-prices-settle-higher-as-us-oil-rigs-fall-for-first-time-in-7-weeks-1334831 [3/9/18]
4 – markets.wsj.com/us [3/9/18]
5 – reuters.com/article/us-usa-tech-stocks/high-performance-u-s-tech-stocks-drive-nasdaq-to-record-high-idUSKCN1GL2QC [3/9/18]
6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F9%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]
6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F9%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]
6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F9%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]
6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F8%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]
6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F8%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]
6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F8%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]
6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F10%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]
6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F10%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]
6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F10%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]
7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [3/9/18]
8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [3/9/18]
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., for Mark Lund, Mark is known as a Wealth Advisor, The 401k Advisor, Investor Coach, The Financial Advisor, The Financial Planner and author of The Effective Investor. Mark offers investment advisory services through Stonecreek Wealth Advisors, Inc. a fiduciary, independent, fee-only, Registered Investment Advisor firm providing investment and retirement planning for individuals and 401k consulting for small businesses. Cities served but not limited to are: Park City, Salt Lake City, Murray City, West Jordan City, Sandy City, Draper City, South Jordan City, Provo City, Orem City, Lehi City, Highland City, Alpine City, and American Fork City in Utah.
