In this week’s recap: Oil prices spike after a U.S. airstrike in Iran raises supply disruption concerns; a manufacturing activity index disappoints; stocks are little changed following an abbreviated trading week.

Weekly Economic Update

Presented by Cornerstone Financial Advisory, LLC, January 6, 2020

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THE WEEK ON WALL STREET

Stocks descended from record highs Friday, as traders reacted to a U.S. drone strike that killed Iran’s top military officer. Oil prices rose more than 3% following the breaking news.¹

Wall Street benchmarks ended up having a sideways week, shortened by the New Year’s Day holiday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.04% across four trading sessions; the S&P 500, 0.16%. In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.16%. The MSCI EAFE index, benchmarking developed overseas stock markets, added 0.30%.^2-3

 

Oil Takes Center Stage

WTI crude oil settled at $63.05 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Friday, down from an intraday peak of $64.09 (which was its highest price since April).

The commodity rallied Friday as energy traders considered the possibility of supply disruptions in the Middle East in retaliation for last week’s U.S. air strike.⁴

 

Manufacturing Activity Declines

At the start of each month, economists watch the Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Managers Index for the factory sector, which is considered a key barometer of U.S. manufacturing health.

Last week, ISM announced a December reading of 47.2 for this index, the poorest in more than ten years. A reading below 50 indicates manufacturing activity is contracting rather than expanding.⁵

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T I P   O F   T H E   W E E K

Turning 50 in 2020? You now have the chance to make catch-up contributions to retirement accounts and to workplace retirement plans.

 

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THE WEEK AHEAD: KEY ECONOMIC DATA

Tuesday: The Institute for Supply Management presents its December Non-Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index, gauging the pace of activity in the U.S. service sector.

Wednesday: Payroll processor ADP releases its December national private-sector employment report.

Friday: The December jobs report from the Department of Labor.

Source: MarketWatch, January 3, 2020

The MarketWatch 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

Wednesday: Constellation Brands (STZ), Lennar (LEN), Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA)

Friday: Infosys (INFY)

Source: Zacks.com, January 3, 2020

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

“The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else.”

MARTINA Navratilova

 

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T H E   W E E K L Y   R I D D L E

A couple took a trip to the Arctic Circle, and they were disappointed that they did not see any penguins. What didn’t they realize about penguins?

 

LAST WEEK’S RIDDLE: Two people are born at the same moment, but they don’t have the same birthdays. How can this be?

ANSWER: They are born in different places, in different time zones.

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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 – investors.com/market-trend/stock-market-today/dow-jones-dives-us-airstrike-gold-prices-oil-prices-jump-tesla-stock/ [1/3/20]

2 – wsj.com/market-data [1/3/20]

3 – quotes.wsj.com/index/XX/MSCI%20GLOBAL/990300/historical-prices [1/3/20]

4 – reuters.com/article/us-global-markets/oil-safe-havens-surge-after-u-s-strikes-kill-iran-commander-idUSKBN1Z2042 [1/3/20]

5 – marketwatch.com/story/us-manufacturing-slumps-worsens-in-december-as-ism-index-falls-to-10-year-low-2020-01-03 [1/3/20]

 

 

CHART CITATIONS:

wsj.com/market-data [1/3/20]

quotes.wsj.com/index/XX/MSCI%20GLOBAL/990300/historical-prices [1/3/20]

quotes.wsj.com/index/SPX/historical-prices [1/3/20]

treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=yieldAll [1/3/20]