In this week’s recap: a shortened trading week sees additional gains for the major stock benchmarks, as optimism about a new trade pact with China outweighs doubts; household spending rises, but confidence declines.

Weekly Economic Update

Presented by Cornerstone Financial, December 2, 2019

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THE WEEK ON WALL STREET

As November wrapped up, U.S. equity benchmarks advanced. Stocks were again aided by a sense of optimism that a preliminary U.S.-China trade deal could be near.

For the week, the Nasdaq Composite added 1.87%; the S&P 500, 1.21%; the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 1.03%. The MSCI EAFE index, which measures the performance of developed stock markets outside North America, gained 0.89%.^1,2

 

Markets Wait for News of a Trade Pact

Wednesday, a senior White House official told Politico that the U.S. was “millimeters away” from a phase-one trade agreement with China, a deal that might involve the removal of certain tariffs.

Still, friction remains within the Sino-American relationship. Last week, President Trump signed two bills into law backing pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly reacted, stating that American lawmakers had “sinister intentions” and adding that China would take “strong counter-measures” in return.^3,4

 

The Latest on Consumer Spending and Consumer Confidence

Personal spending was up 0.3% in October, according to the Department of Commerce. This happened even with no gain in household incomes.

The Conference Board said that its Consumer Confidence Index came in at 125.5 for November. Even though it has declined for four straight months, the index remains well above levels seen during the first half of the decade.^5,6

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T I P   O F   T H E   W E E K

In business travel, a little thriftiness is a plus. Plan your business trips as if you are paying for them out of pocket.

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THE WEEK AHEAD: KEY ECONOMIC DATA

Monday: The Institute for Supply Management provides its latest monthly index of U.S. manufacturing activity (November).

Wednesday: The ISM presents its November Non-Manufacturing Index, and Automatic Data Processing (ADP) publishes its November payrolls report.

Friday: November hiring data arrives from the Department of Labor, and the University of Michigan’s preliminary December Consumer Sentiment Index appears.

Source: Econoday, November 29, 2019

The Econoday economic calendar lists 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

Tuesday: Salesforce (CRM), Workday (WDAY)

Wednesday: RBC (RY)

Thursday: Dollar General (DG), TD Bank (TD)

Source: Zacks.com, November 29, 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.

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Q U O T E   O F   T H E   W E E K

“I look to the future because that’s where I’m going to spend the rest of my life.”

GEORGE BURNS

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T H E   W E E K L Y   R I D D L E

I follow and lead as you pass. Dress yourself in black, my darkness lasts. I flee the light, but without the sun, your view of me would be gone. Now tell me, what am I?

 

LAST WEEK’S RIDDLE: Two children are born in the same hospital, on the same year, on the same day, and have the same father and mother … but they are not twins. How is this possible?

ANSWER: They are triplets (or quadruplets, etc.).

 

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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. The MSCI EAFE Index is a stock market index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets outside of the U.S. and Canada. 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. 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 – wsj.com/market-data [11/29/19]

2 – quotes.wsj.com/index/XX/990300/historical-prices [11/29/19]

3 – politico.com/news/2019/11/27/us-trade-deal-china-074230 [11/27/19]

4 – cnbc.com/2019/11/29/dow-futures-black-friday-thanksgiving-holiday.html [11/29/19]

5 – bit.ly/37M0yl7 [11/27/19]

6 – bit.ly/2XYGdEM [11/26/19]

 

CHART CITATIONS:

wsj.com/market-data [11/29/19]

quotes.wsj.com/index/XX/990300/historical-prices [11/29/19]

quotes.wsj.com/index/SPX/historical-prices [11/29/19]

treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=yield [11/29/19]

treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=yieldAll [11/29/19]