Weekly Economic Update – June 24, 2019

In this week’s recap: Wall Street maintains its risk-on mood, even as tensions grow between the U.S. and Iran, influenced by a White House tweet and a dovish signal from the Federal Reserve. 

Weekly Economic Update

Presented by William Mauro, June 24, 2019

 

THE WEEK ON WALL STREET

The S&P 500 hit an all-time peak of 2,964.03, in intraday trading Friday, while improving 2.20% across five market days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite posted respective, 5-day advances of 2.41% and 3.01%. In addition, the MSCI EAFE benchmark of overseas stocks rose 2.58%.^1-3

A White House tweet and the latest monetary policy outlook from the Federal Reserve sent the bulls running. These were the top two financial news items in an eventful week – a week in which the value of West Texas Intermediate crude rose 9.4%, the price of gold went above $1,400 for the first time in six years, and the 10-year Treasury yield fell below 2%. (Treasury yields fall when their prices rise, and vice versa.)¹

 

The Fed’s June Policy Statement

The central bank stood pat on interest rates this month, but the expectations of some of its policymakers changed. About half the 17 Fed officials who have a say in monetary policy now project either one or two quarter-point rate cuts by the end of the year. As recently as March, no Fed official saw grounds for a 2019 cut.⁴

Markets interpreted this shift as a sign that the Fed might soon ease. While a rate cut is by no means a given, traders now believe that the Fed will make either a quarter-point or half-point cut at its July meeting.⁵

 

Last Tuesday’s Market-Moving Tweet

A day earlier, stocks rose after President Trump stated that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping “will be having an extended meeting†at this week’s G-20 summit in Japan.⁶

Investors were encouraged by this note, sensing a chance for progress in U.S.-China trade talks.

 

Final Thought

With tensions persisting between Iran and the U.S., investors are keeping a close eye on both commodity prices and stock indices. Economic or geopolitical developments could heavily influence the short-term movement of the markets.

 

T I P   O F   T H E   W E E K

A no-exam life insurance policy may sound expedient and convenient, but keep this reality in mind: policies that are medically underwritten are usually more affordable than those that are not.

 

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: KEY ECONOMIC DATA

Tuesday: The Census Bureau’s snapshot of May new home buying and the Conference Board’s monthly consumer confidence index.

Thursday: The federal government’s third (“finalâ€) estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product.

Friday: May consumer spending data from the Department of Commerce as well as the final June consumer sentiment index from the University of Michigan, another key gauge of consumer confidence.

Source: Econoday / MarketWatch Calendar, June 21, 2019

The Econoday and MarketWatch economic calendars list upcoming U.S. economic data releases (including key economic indicators), Federal Reserve policy meetings, and speaking engagements of Federal Reserve officials. The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The forecasts or forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and may not materialize. The forecasts also are subject to revision.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: COMPANIES REPORTING EARNINGS

Monday: Carnival (CCL)

Tuesday: FedEx (FDX), Micron Technology (MU)

Wednesday: General Mills (GIS), Kraft Heinz (KHC), Paychex (PAYX)

Thursday: Accenture (ACN), Nike (NKE), Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA)

Friday: Constellation Brands (STZ)

Source: Zacks.com, June 21, 2019

Companies mentioned are for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of the securities. Any investment should be consistent with your objectives, time frame, and risk tolerance. The return and principal value of investments will fluctuate as market conditions change. When sold, investments may be worth more or less than their original cost. Companies may reschedule when they report earnings without notice.

 

 

Q U O T E   O F   T H E   W E E K

“If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.â€

Fyodor Dostoevsky

 

T H E   W E E K L Y   R I D D L E

A horse was tied to a rope 5 meters long, and the horse’s food was 15 meters away. How did the horse reach the food?

 

LAST WEEK’S RIDDLE: What is the worst vegetable to have on a ship?

ANSWER: A leek.

 

 

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 “NYSEâ€) 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/2019/06/21/it-was-a-monumental-week-for-markets-with-major-milestones-in-stocks-bonds-gold-and-oil.html [6/21/19]

2 – wsj.com/market-data [6/21/19]

3 – quotes.wsj.com/index/XX/990300/historical-prices [6/21/19]

4 – latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-fed-interest-rate-policy-20190619-story.html [6/19/19]

5 – cmegroup.com/trading/interest-rates/countdown-to-fomc.html [6/21/19]

6 – cnbc.com/2019/06/18/trump-says-he-and-chinas-xi-spoke-will-have-extended-meeting-next-week-at-g-20.html [6/18/19]

CHART CITATIONS:

wsj.com/market-data [6/21/19]

quotes.wsj.com/index/SPX/historical-prices [6/21/19]

treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=yield [6/21/19]

treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=yieldAll [6/21/19]