Weekly Economic Update – April 22, 2019

In this week’s recap: stocks move sideways as earnings season gathers momentum, and retail sales jump.

Weekly Economic Update

Presented by William Mauro, April 22, 2019

 

THE WEEK ON WALL STREET

A short and relatively placid trading week wrapped up Thursday, with the major indices turning in mixed performances. The S&P 500 retreated 0.08%, the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.17%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.56%. The MSCI EAFE index, tracking foreign stocks in developed countries, added 0.65%.^1-4

Nothing really catalytic emerged to drive the market last week, and volumes were low.

 

Earnings Season Update

More than 78% of S&P 500 firms reporting so far this earnings season have surpassed analyst expectations, according to FactSet. Since guidance tends to be conservative, there is the possibility that more companies will beat forecasts than expected.⁵

The initial public offering market remained strong. Two high-profile technology companies came public on Thursday and were met with enthusiasm from investors. As mentioned in recent weeks, 2019 could be a banner year for IPOs.

 

Retail Sales Rebound

March’s 1.6% gain was the biggest monthly advance seen since September 2017. Sales of cars and gasoline rose more than 3%.⁶

If the upcoming March consumer spending report is also impressive, concerns about the current business cycle peaking may recede.

 

Final Thought

Nearly 800 companies will report earnings this week, including some high-profile names. This kicks off five weeks of active daily earnings reports.

Investors will watch corporate profits, guidance, and fundamental indicators with great interest, to try and glean whether the economy is strengthening or softening. Reports on first-quarter economic growth and existing home sales will command particular attention.

 

 

T I P   O F   T H E   W E E K

Your insurance needs should be reevaluated every few years. Life events like a marriage, a home purchase, or retirement may mean you need more (or less) coverage.

 

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: KEY ECONOMIC DATA

Monday: March existing home sales figures from the National Association of Realtors.

Tuesday: March new home sales numbers from the Census Bureau.

Friday: The first estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) from the federal government, and the final April University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, a gauge of consumer confidence levels.

Source: Econoday / MarketWatch Calendar, April 18, 2019

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 release of data may be delayed without notice for a variety of reasons.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: COMPANIES REPORTING EARNINGS

Monday: Halliburton (HAL), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), Whirlpool (WHR)

Tuesday: Coca-Cola (KO), Harley-Davidson (HOG), Procter & Gamble (PG), Twitter (TWTR), Verizon (VZ)

Wednesday: Anthem (ANTM), Boeing (BA), Caterpillar (CAT), Facebook (FB)

Thursday: 3M (MMM), AbbVie (ABBV), Amazon (AMZN), Starbucks (SBUX)

Friday: American Airlines (AAL), Colgate-Palmolive (CL), ExxonMobil (XOM)

Source: Morningstar.com, April 18, 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

“You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.â€

ZIG ZIGLAR

 

 

T H E   W E E K L Y   R I D D L E

It has keys that open no locks. Yet, it lets you enter and create spaces. What is it?

 

LAST WEEK’S RIDDLE: Name two English words (longer than two letters) that both begin and end with the letters “he†(in that order).

ANSWER: Headache and heartache.

 

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 – quotes.wsj.com/index/SPX [4/18/19] 

2 – quotes.wsj.com/index/DJIA [4/18/19]         

3 – quotes.wsj.com/index/COMP [4/18/19]        

4 – quotes.wsj.com/index/XX/990300/historical-prices [4/18/19]

5 – cnbc.com/2019/04/18/stocks-market-earnings-retail-sales-and-jobless-data-in-focus.html [4/18/19]

6 – reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy-retail/us-retail-sales-post-biggest-gain-in-one-and-a-half-years-in-march-idUSKCN1RU1GI [4/18/19]

CHART CITATIONS:

quotes.wsj.com/index/SPX [4/18/19] 

quotes.wsj.com/index/DJIA [4/18/19]          

quotes.wsj.com/index/COMP [4/18/19]        

quotes.wsj.com/index/XX/990300/historical-prices [4/18/19]

markets.wsj.com [4/18/19]

 

treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=yield [4/18/19]

 

treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=yieldAll [4/18/19]