Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

HOUSEHOLD Sentiment Gauge Rises Again

The University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment gained 0.4 points from its preliminary reading this month to reach a final January mark of 98.5. That represents a 12-year peak for the index, which stood at 92.0 in January 2016.^1,2

     

HOME SALES FELL IN DECEMBER

Given costlier mortgages, rising prices, and tight inventory, the December retreat for resales was not surprising. The National Association of Realtors said that existing home sales slipped by 2.8% last month. New home sales dropped 10.4%, but the Census Bureau stated that they increased 12.2% for 2016, marking the best year for new home buying since 2007.³

 

FIRST ESTIMATE OF q4 GDP: 1.9%

If that Department of Commerce appraisal holds, it will mean that the economy grew just 1.9% for all of 2016, contrasting with 2.6% expansion in 2015. Hard goods orders fell 0.4% in December, but rose 1.7% minus defense orders.²

 

DOW TOPS 20,000, STOCKS REGAIN MOMENTUM

Leaving some mid-January doldrums behind, the major indices rallied nicely last week. The Dow advanced 1.34% to 20,093.78; the Nasdaq Composite, 1.90% to 5,660.78; and the S&P 500, 1.03% to 2,294.69. The CBOE VIX “fear index” finished the week down at 10.53.⁴

 

THIS WEEK: Monday offers reports on December personal spending and pending home sales. The Conference Board’s monthly consumer confidence index and a new Case-Shiller home price index appear Tuesday, along with earnings from Aetna, Aflac, Ally Financial, Anadarko Petroleum, Apple, Chubb, Coach, Eli Lilly, ExxonMobil, Harley-Davidson, MasterCard, Nucor, Pfizer, Sprint, Under Armour, UPS, U.S. Steel, Valero Energy, and Xerox. Wednesday, the Federal Reserve wraps up a policy meeting, ADP’s January payrolls report and ISM’s January manufacturing PMI arrive, and Allstate, Altria, AmeriGas, Ameriprise Financial, Anthem, Avery Dennison, Celanese, Energizer Holdings, Exelon, Facebook, Ingersoll-Rand, MetLife, Pitney Bowes, and Symantec all announce earnings. Thursday’s earnings parade includes results from Amazon, Amgen, Callaway Golf, Chipotle, Cigna, ConocoPhillips, Coty, Estee Lauder, GoPro, Hanesbrands, International Paper, Motorola Solutions, Parker, Philip Morris, Merck, Ralph Lauren, Ryder, Sirius XM, SkyWest, Snap-On, and Visa; also, Challenger issues January job-cut data, and new initial claims figures are released. Investors consider the January ISM services PMI and January hiring figures Friday, plus earnings from AutoNation, Clorox, Hershey, Phillips 66, Regis, and Weyerhaeuser.

 

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+1.68	+26.02	+11.74	+6.09
NASDAQ	+5.16	+26.69	+20.20	+13.24
S&P 500	+2.50	+21.87	+14.86	+6.14
REAL YIELD	1/27 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.41%	0.62%	-0.18%	2.48%

Randy C. Benning, CFP®, President, License # 0816882, Benning Financial Group, LLC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Benning Financial Group, LLC, A Registered Investment Advisor, Benning Financial Group, LLC, is not affiliated with Triad Advisors. Securities offered through Triad Advisors Member FINRA, SIPC

Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 1/27/17^4,5,6,7

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.

---

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 “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 – sca.isr.umich.edu/ [1/27/17]

2 – thestreet.com/story/13969585/1/stocks-mixed-after-u-s-gdp-shows-mediocre-end-to-2016.html [1/27/17]

3 – usatoday.com/story/money/2017/01/26/new-home-sales-prices-mortgage-rates/97081430/ [1/26/17]

4 – markets.wsj.com/us [1/27/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F27%2F16&x=0&y=0 [1/27/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F27%2F16&x=0&y=0 [1/27/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F27%2F16&x=0&y=0 [1/27/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F27%2F12&x=0&y=0 [1/27/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F27%2F12&x=0&y=0 [1/27/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F27%2F12&x=0&y=0 [1/27/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F26%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/27/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F26%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/27/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F26%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/27/17]

6 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [1/27/17]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [1/27/17]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

LARGEST INFLATION ADVANCE IN 5 YEARS

The Consumer Price Index rose 2.1% in 2016, marking its greatest annual gain since 2011. During 2015, consumer prices only increased by 0.7%. December saw a 0.3% rise for the headline CPI and a 0.2% gain for the core CPI (which excludes food and energy costs). The core CPI gained 2.2% last year.¹

     

MUCH MORE GROUNDBREAKING IN DECEMBER

Cold had little impact on residential construction as 2016 ended. Housing starts advanced 11.3% last month and rose 5.7% for the year. Single-family starts declined 4.0% in December, but they still improved 3.9% in 2016. Building permits were down 0.2% last month and posted a yearly gain of 0.7%.²

 

GOLD GOES BACK ABOVE $1,200

The yellow metal rose 1.84% week-over-week to settle Friday at $1,210.00 on the COMEX. (Silver ended the week at $17.12.) On the NYMEX, oil ended up at $52.33 as Wall Street rang its closing bell Friday, retreating 0.19% week-over-week.³

 

MAJOR INDICES DRIFT LOWER

Stocks retreated last week, but just slightly. Across four trading days, losses trimmed the Dow Industrials by 0.30%, the S&P 500 by 0.15%, and the Nasdaq Composite by 0.32%. Friday’s settlements: Dow, 19,827.25; Nasdaq, 5,555.33; S&P, 2,271.31.⁴

 

THIS WEEK: On Monday, Halliburton, McDonalds, and Yahoo! report Q4 results. December existing home sales numbers arrive Tuesday, complementing earnings from 3M, Alibaba, Capital One, Corning, D.R. Horton, Discover, Fifth Third Bancorp, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Lockheed Martin, Seagate Technology, Stryker, Texas Instruments, Travelers, and Verizon. Wednesday’s earnings parade features Abbott Labs, AT&T, Boeing, Briggs & Stratton, Brinker International, Dolby Labs, Citrix, Freeport-McMoRan, eBay, Norfolk Southern, Qualcomm, Raymond James, Rockwell Automation, United Rentals, W.W. Grainger, and Western Digital. New initial claims data appears Thursday, plus December new home sales figures and earnings from Alphabet, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Caterpillar, Celgene, Comcast, Dow Chemical, E*TRADE, Ford, Intel, JetBlue, Microsoft, Northrop Grumman, PayPal, Praxair, PulteGroup, Quest Diagnostics, Raytheon, Regis, Royal Caribbean, Sherwin-Williams, Southwest Airlines, Stanley Black & Decker, and Starbucks. Friday offers the first estimate of Q4 GDP, December durable goods orders, the final January University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, and earnings from Chevron, American Airlines, Colgate-Palmolive, Honeywell, NextEra Energy, and Whirlpool.

 

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+0.33	+25.75	+11.17	+5.78
NASDAQ	+3.20	+24.23	+19.87	+12.66
S&P 500	+1.45	+22.16	+14.53	+5.88
REAL YIELD	1/20 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.44%	0.69%	0.01%	2.47%

Randy C. Benning, CFP®, President, License # 0816882, Benning Financial Group, LLC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Benning Financial Group, LLC, A Registered Investment Advisor, Benning Financial Group, LLC, is not affiliated with Triad Advisors. Securities offered through Triad Advisors Member FINRA, SIPC

Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 1/20/17^5,6,7,8

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.

---

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 “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 – houstonchronicle.com/business/economy/article/Consumer-prices-up-a-moderate-0-3-percent-last-10867241.php [1/18/17]

2 – marketwatch.com/story/housing-starts-surge-in-december-to-second-highest-pace-of-recovery-2017-01-19 [1/19/17]

3 – markets.on.nytimes.com/research/markets/commodities/commodities.asp [1/20/17]

4 – google.com/finance?q=INDEXDJX%3A.DJI&ei=pYOCWLmWKsn_jAHphIqQBg [1/20/17]

5 – markets.wsj.com/us [1/20/17]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F20%2F16&x=0&y=0 [1/20/17]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F20%2F16&x=0&y=0 [1/20/17]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F20%2F16&x=0&y=0 [1/20/17]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F20%2F12&x=0&y=0 [1/20/17]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F20%2F12&x=0&y=0 [1/20/17]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F20%2F12&x=0&y=0 [1/20/17]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F19%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/20/17]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F19%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/20/17]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F19%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/20/17]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [1/20/17]

8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [1/20/17]

RETAIL SALES RISE 0.6%

All of this December gain can be attributed to increased car buying and gasoline purchases; in fact, retail sales were flat with those two categories removed. Analysts surveyed by MarketWatch had projected a 0.8% December advance. Census Bureau data shows that online sales rose 13.2% in 2016, while department store sales fell 8.4%.^1,2

     

CONSUMERS MAINTAIN OPTIMISM AS 2017 BEGINS

The University of Michigan’s preliminary January consumer sentiment index was little changed from the final December edition – just a tenth of a point lower at 98.1. In January 2016, the index was at 92.0. The current conditions component of the index reached 112.5, its highest mark since 2004.³

 

PRODUCER PRICES CLIMB AGAIN

After heading north 0.4% in November, the Producer Price Index advanced another 0.3% in December, perhaps hinting that an extended period of minimal wholesale inflation is now history. The December increase left both the headline and core PPI up 1.6% year-over-year.¹

 

A GOOD WEEK FOR TECH SHARES

Across January 9-13, the Nasdaq Composite added 0.96% to settle at 5,574.12. Wall Street’s other two major indices went red for the week – the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.39%; the S&P 500, 0.10%. Friday, the Dow settled at 19,885.73; the S&P, at 2,274.64.⁴

 

THIS WEEK: Wall Street observes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Monday – U.S. stock and bond markets are closed. Morgan Stanley and UnitedHealth Group announce earnings Tuesday. On Wednesday, Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen speaks about monetary policy goals in San Francisco, the December CPI and a new Fed Beige Book appear, and investors examine earnings from Charles Schwab, Citigroup, Fastenal, Goldman Sachs, Netflix, Northern Trust, Raymond James, and U.S. Bancorp. Earnings from Alaska Air, American Express, BB&T, Celanese, IBM, J.B. Hunt, Nautilus, and Union Pacific arrive Thursday, along with new data on initial claims, housing starts, and building permits; that night, Janet Yellen talks about the U.S. economic outlook in a California speech. Friday is Inauguration Day: federal offices in Washington, D.C. and its vicinity are closed, but Wall Street is open for business as General Electric, Regions Financial, Schlumberger, and SunTrust Banks present earnings.

 

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+0.62	+23.12	+12.02	+5.84
NASDAQ	+3.55	+23.16	+21.13	+12.27
S&P 500	+1.60	+20.33	+15.29	+5.90
REAL YIELD	1/13 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.41%	0.65%	-0.14%	2.49%

Randy C. Benning, CFP®, President, License # 0816882, Benning Financial Group, LLC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Benning Financial Group, LLC, A Registered Investment Advisor, Benning Financial Group, LLC, is not affiliated with Triad Advisors. Securities offered through Triad Advisors Member FINRA, SIPC

Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 1/13/17^4,5,6,7

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.

---

 

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 “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 – investing.com/economic-calendar/ [1/13/17]

2 – marketwatch.com/story/retail-sales-climb-06-in-december-2017-01-13/ [1/13/17]

3 – sca.isr.umich.edu/ [1/13/17]

4 – markets.wsj.com/us [1/13/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F13%2F16&x=0&y=0 [1/13/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F13%2F16&x=0&y=0 [1/13/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F13%2F16&x=0&y=0 [1/13/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F13%2F12&x=0&y=0 [1/13/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F13%2F12&x=0&y=0 [1/13/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F13%2F12&x=0&y=0 [1/13/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F12%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/13/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F12%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/13/17]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F12%2F07&x=0&y=0 [1/13/17]

6 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [1/13/17]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [1/13/17]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

THE QUARTER IN BRIEF
Two events strongly influenced U.S. and foreign financial markets in the fourth quarter – one unexpected by many, the other widely anticipated. Neither of them particularly upset investors. Donald Trump’s win in the presidential election led to a rally on Wall Street, and the Federal Reserve’s December interest rate hike was taken in stride, even as our central bank’s monetary policy stood out globally for its hawkishness. The S&P 500 ended up gaining 3.25% in three months. The United Kingdom scheduled its Brexit, and OPEC elected to trim oil output for the first time in eight years. Oil rallied, and so did the dollar; precious metals retreated. The housing sector showed strength even as mortgage rates ascended. On the whole, the most-watched U.S. economic indicators were encouraging.¹

 

DOMESTIC ECONOMIC HEALTH
On December 14, the Federal Reserve announced its second quarter-point rate hike in two years. The federal funds rate was reset at the 0.50-0.75% range, and the central bank’s latest dot-plot forecast showed three planned rate moves in 2017 instead of the previously projected two. Fed officials emphasized that oncoming tightening will be “gradual.”²

 

By November, monthly payroll gains were averaging 180,000 for the year. The main U-3 jobless rate was at 4.9% in October and at 4.6% in November. The U-6 rate that included the underemployed fell from 9.5% in October to 9.3% a month later. In November, the U-3 rate was at its lowest level since August 2007, and the U-6 rate had not been so low since April 2008.³

 

As Q4 ended, consumer confidence indices looked very impressive. The Conference Board’s monthly index was well over the 100 mark at 109.4 by November, and then it pushed further north to 113.0 in December. The University of Michigan’s household sentiment gauge sat at 87.2 in October, then rose to 93.8 in November and 98.2 for December.^4,5

 

Both the service and factory sectors expanded during fall 2016. The Institute for Supply Management’s non-manufacturing index rose to 57.2 in November from 54.8 in October. November marked the 82nd straight month of service sector growth in America. ISM’s purchasing manager index for the factory sector advanced to 53.2 in November from the prior mark of 51.9, indicating an improved pace of growth. In related news, factory orders rose 0.6% in October and 2.7% in November.^6,7

 

Consumer spending accelerated 0.4% in October, but only half that in November. Consumer incomes rose 0.5% in October, and then flattened a month after that. Core retail sales (minus car and gasoline purchases) followed a similar pattern: up 0.5% in October and 0.2% in November. (Perhaps the December numbers will show more upside.)⁷

 

As energy costs rose, the annualized gain in the headline Producer Price Index went from 0.8% in October to 1.3% in November. (By November, the core PPI showed a 1.6% yearly gain.) Consumer inflation remained beneath the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. As of November, the Consumer Price Index was up but 1.7% in 12 months, with the core CPI up 2.1%. The Federal Reserve’s core PCE price index was 1.8% higher year-over-year in October, but that number declined to 1.6% in November.⁷

 

GLOBAL ECONOMIC HEALTH
The eurozone economy had expanded only 0.3% in Q3, and by November, euro area yearly inflation was still at 0.6%, with six member nations (among them Greece and Ireland) experiencing year-over-year consumer price deflation. Populist movements in France, Germany, and Italy gained traction, most notably Italy’s Five Star Movement. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi resigned in November after his party’s attempt at constitutional reform was voted down by the electorate; the Five Star Movement has vowed to hold a national vote on whether or not Italy should stay in the European Union if it assumes power in 2018.^8,9

 

Teresa May, the United Kingdom’s prime minister, announced her country would make its Brexit from the E.U. as early as the summer of 2019, by invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty no later than the end of March. May expected the U.K. to have a full role in E.U. policymaking through 2019. The European Central Bank made a policy decision to keep easing – in December, it announced an extension of its asset-purchase program through the end of 2017; though, the amount of monthly bond buying would be trimmed from €80 billion to €60 billion beginning in April.^8,10

 

The long-awaited OPEC accord to reduce oil production finally came to pass in late November. A 1.2-millon-barrel-per-day cut (effective in January) was eventually agreed to by OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers; though, some analysts felt not all parties to the agreement would comply with its terms. In the Asia-Pacific region, Japan continued its weak economic growth, while the latest statistics showed China’s GDP holding steady at 6.7% in Q3.^11,12

 

WORLD MARKETS
Looking at foreign benchmarks, the best price returns of the fourth quarter were largely in Europe. The DAX rose 9.23% during Q4, and the CAC 40 advanced 9.31%. The 13-week gain for the FTSE 100 was not quite so large: 3.53%.¹³

 

All that said, those big gains paled next to that of the Nikkei 225. Japan’s major equity index added 16.20% in Q4. Other indices in the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas fell far short of that kind of quarterly performance, but there were other nice Q4 advances. The TSX Composite rose 3.81%; the All Ordinaries, 3.51%. The Shanghai Composite improved 3.29%; the MSCI World, 1.48%. MSCI’s Emerging Markets index and the Sensex both fell 4.56%, while the Hang Seng retreated 5.57%.^13,14

 

COMMODITIES MARKETS
Lean hogs led the pack in commodity futures in Q4, with prices rising 35.28%. Oats gained 22.19% in Q4. Among the major commodities, unleaded gasoline led the way with a 15.83% advance; natural gas and copper were close behind, respectively adding 13.71% and 12.75%.¹⁵

 

West Texas Intermediate crude had a fine quarter, gaining 7.59%; oil settled at $53.89 a barrel on the NYMEX on December 30, capping off an advance of 46.12% for the year.^15,16

 

The dollar rally was one factor that turned Q4 into a subpar quarter for precious metals. Palladium sank 5.49% in the final three months of 2016; gold, 12.81%; platinum, 12.85%; and silver, 17.28%. Gold and silver did have a nice year – gold prices rose 7.18% on the COMEX in 2016; silver prices, 15.04%. In crops, the leading Q4 loser was sugar, which fell 15.17%; coffee futures slumped 11.52%.^15,16

 

REAL ESTATE
Mortgages grew more expensive in Q4. As the quarter ended, Freddie Mac said that the average interest rate on a 30-year conventional home loan was 4.32%. Mean interest on the 15-year FRM was 3.55%; mean interest on the 5/1-year ARM, 3.30%. Look at how those December 29 numbers compare with the ones from Freddie’s September 29 Primary Mortgage Market Survey: 30-year FRM, 3.42%; 15-year FRM, 2.72%; 5/1-year ARM, 2.81%.¹⁷

 

As home loans became costlier, more buyers stepped forth: existing home sales rose 1.5% during October and another 0.7% in November. That data comes from the National Association of Realtors, whose pending home sales index rose just 0.1% in October and slipped 2.5% the next month. The national S&P/Case-Shiller home price index measures year-over-year price gains for existing homes; its annualized increase reached 5.6% in October, up from 5.4% in September. New home buying rose 5.2% in November after a 1.4% October fall, the Census Bureau reported.^4,7

 

Real estate construction surged in October, but waned with colder weather in November. The Census Bureau said that groundbreaking increased 27.4% in the tenth month of 2016, with a 2.9% boost for building permits. A month later, starts were down by 18.7%, with permits reduced by 4.7%.⁷

 

LOOKING BACK…LOOKING FORWARD
The fourth-quarter performances, noted in the accompanying table, left the big three U.S. equity indices at the following year-end settlements: Dow Jones Industrial Average, 19,762.60; NASDAQ Composite, 5,383.12; S&P 500, 2,238.83. While the big three all posted Q4 gains, their advances were matched or surpassed by some other benchmarks. The U.S. Dollar Index rose 7.06% for the quarter, and the Russell 2000 gained 8.43%. Unsurprisingly, given some of the quarter’s major commodity gains, the PHLX Oil Service index added 12.33%, and the S&P GSCI index improved 9.25%. Amid all this, the CBOE VIX rose 5.64% to end the trading year at 14.04.¹

 

Treasury yields moved north, especially after the election. The 10-year note’s real yield rose half a percentage point during Q4; it was 0.00% on September ^30.19,20

 

% CHANGE	2016	Q4 CHG	Q3 CHG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+13.42	+7.94	+2.11	+5.86
NASDAQ	+7.50	+1.34	+9.69	+12.29
S&P 500	+9.54	+3.25	+3.31	+5.79
REAL YIELD	12/30 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.50%	0.77%	-0.07%	2.41%

 

---

Sources: barchart.com, cnbc.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 12/30/16^{1,18,19,20,21}

Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly.

These returns do not include dividends.

Investors are entering the first quarter with a good deal of optimism, but also with an awareness that anything could happen. Wall Street has been bullish on the incoming Trump administration, and that confidence will likely continue as it begins to shape policy in Washington. At the same time, market participants are keeping a cautious eye on the Fed, the strong dollar, and the possibility of a stock bubble inflated by euphoria. Economic signals have looked much better of late than they did a year ago, and the stock market appears to be on much sturdier legs than it was at the beginning of 2016, when it fell precipitously. With the earnings recession having faded away, perhaps the market will get a boost this next earnings season that will lift the Dow above 20,000. For this best-case scenario to emerge, domestic and global belief in the new president and his administration needs to be strong and sustained, and geopolitical events from overseas need to be tolerable for the bulls. It will be an interesting first quarter.

«RepresentativeDisclosure»

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. 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 “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. The DAX 30 is a Blue Chip stock market index consisting of the 30 major German companies trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The CAC-40 Index is a narrow-based, modified capitalization-weighted index of 40 companies listed on the Paris Bourse. The FTSE 100 Index is a share index of the 100 most highly capitalized companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Nikkei 225 (Ticker: ^N225) is a stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). The Nikkei average is the most watched index of Asian stocks. The S&P/TSX Composite Index is an index of the stock (equity) prices of the largest companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) as measured by market capitalization. The All Ordinaries (XAO) is considered a total market barometer for the Australian stock market and contains the 500 largest ASX-listed companies by way of market capitalization. The SSE Composite Index is an index of all stocks (A and B shares) that are traded at the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The MSCI World Index is a free-float weighted equity index that includes developed world markets, and does not include emerging markets. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a float-adjusted market capitalization index consisting of indices in more than 25 emerging economies. BSE Sensex or Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitivity Index is a value-weighted index composed of 30 stocks that started January 1, 1986. The Hang Seng Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted stock market index that is the main indicator of the overall market performance in Hong Kong. The US Dollar Index measures the performance of the U.S. dollar against a basket of six currencies. The Russell 2000 Index is a small-cap stock market index of the bottom 2,000 stocks in the Russell 3000 Index. The PHLX Oil Service Sector Index (OSX) is a price weighted index composed of companies involved in the oil services sector. The S&P GSCI is the first major investable commodity index. The CBOE Volatility Index® is a key measure of market expectations of near-term volatility conveyed by S&P 500 stock index option prices. 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 – barchart.com/stocks/indices.php?view=performance [12/30/16]

2 – cnbc.com/2016/12/14/fed-raises-rates-for-the-second-time-in-a-decade.html [12/14/16]

3 – blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2016/12/02/november-jobs-report-the-numbers-3/ [12/2/16]

4 – marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic [12/30/16]

5 – tradingeconomics.com/united-states/consumer-confidence [1/2/17]

6 – instituteforsupplymanagement.org/ISMReport/NonMfgROB.cfm [12/5/16]

7 – investing.com/economic-calendar/ [1/2/17]

8 – economiccalendar.com/2017/01/01/political-uncertainty-clouds-eurozone-economic-
outlook/ [1/1/17]

9 – ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/7773874/2-16122016-BP-EN.pdf
/537e4b39-6cf9-4866-9547-4853e58c4a78 [12/16/16]

10 – bbc.com/news/uk-politics-37710786 [10/21/16]

11 – cnbc.com/2016/12/30/january-is-the-first-big-test-for-opec-production-
deal-analysts.html [12/30/16]

12 – foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/02/central-banks-loosen-their-grip-on-markets.html
[1/2/17]

13 – news.morningstar.com/index/indexReturn.html [1/2/17]

14 – msci.com/end-of-day-data-search [12/30/16]

15 – barchart.com/futures/performance-leaders#/viewName=chart&timeFrame=3m [1/2/17]

16 – money.cnn.com/data/commodities/ [12/30/16]

17 – freddiemac.com/pmms/archive.html?year=2016 [1/2/17]

18 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&
x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

18 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

18 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

19 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldYear&year=2016 [1/2/17]

20 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [1/2/17]

21 – cnbc.com/2016/09/30/us-markets.html [9/30/16]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

A SURGE IN CONSUMER OPTIMISM

The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index continued to climb in December. Analysts polled by MarketWatch projected a reading of 110.0 for the gauge, but it beat that forecast, rising 4.3 points to a 15-year peak of 113.7. The major factor in the gain? Growing expectations of a better economy, particularly among older Americans. The CB’s monthly expectations index reached a high unseen since December 2003.^1,2

     

PENDING HOME SALES SLIP

Housing contract activity declined 2.5% in November, according to the latest research from the National Association of Realtors. In October, pending sales were up by just 0.1%.¹

 

YEARLY HOME PRICE GAINS INCREASE

October’s S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index came out last week, showing a 5.6% annualized improvement. In its September edition, the 12-month advance was 5.4%. The 20-city composite version of the index rose 5.1% in the year ending in October.^1,2

 

A BULLISH YEAR COMES TO A CLOSE

Stocks descended during the last trading week of 2016. The S&P 500 gave back 1.10% of its winter gains to end the year at 2,238.83. Blue chips held up better, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell just 0.86% for the week to 19,762.60. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite slumped 1.46% for the week, closing Friday at 5,383.12. For the year, the Dow gained 13.42%; the Nasdaq, 7.50%; the S&P 500, 9.54%; and the Russell 2000, 19.48%. The CBOE VIX lost 22.95%. A barrel of light sweet crude was worth $53.72 on the NYMEX as Wall Street’s trading week ended. WTI crude rose 45% in 2016 to have its best year since 2009.^3,4

 

THIS WEEK: Wall Street takes Monday off to observe the New Year’s Day holiday. Trading resumes Tuesday, with the December ISM manufacturing PMI being the big news item. Wednesday, minutes from the December Federal Reserve policy meeting arrive, plus the December ADP payrolls report and Q4 results from Sonic. Thursday offers the December ISM services PMI, the latest initial jobless claims numbers, the December Challenger job-cut report, and earnings from Constellation Brands, Container Store, Monsanto, PriceSmart, Ruby Tuesday, and Walgreens Boots Alliance. The Department of Labor’s December jobs report comes out Friday, along with data on November factory orders.

 

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+13.42	+12.26	+12.35	+5.86
NASDAQ	+7.50	+6.26	+21.33	+12.29
S&P 500	+9.54	+8.50	+15.60	+5.79
REAL YIELD	12/30 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.50%	0.77%	-0.07%	2.41%

Randy C. Benning, CFP®, President, License # 0816882, Benning Financial Group, LLC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Benning Financial Group, LLC, A Registered Investment Advisor, Benning Financial Group, LLC, is not affiliated with Triad Advisors. Securities offered through Triad Advisors Member FINRA, SIPC

Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 12/30/16^3,5,6,7

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

---

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. 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 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 indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. 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. 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. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. 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.

Citations.

1 – marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic [12/30/16]

2 – nytimes.com/2016/12/27/business/trump-consumer-confidence-index-real-estate-home-prices-on-the-rise.html [12/27/16]

3 – markets.wsj.com/us [12/30/16]

4 – thestreet.com/story/13939313/1/dow-s-amp-p-500-and-nasdaq-close-out-2016-with-strong-gains.html [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=12%2F30%2F15&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=12%2F30%2F15&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=12%2F30%2F15&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=12%2F30%2F11&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=12%2F30%2F11&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=12%2F30%2F11&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

6 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [12/30/16]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [12/30/16]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

THE MONTH IN BRIEF
While the Dow Jones Industrial Average did not top 20,000 in December, it did advance nicely, gaining 3.34%. The Federal Reserve took its interest rate target to 0.50-0.75%, adjusting the federal funds rate for just the second time in two years; around the world, other central banks held rates steady, and one even pledged additional easing. Oil prices jumped. Closely watched consumer confidence and purchasing manager indices rose, and unemployment declined. Home sales improved even as mortgage rates neared highs unseen since 2011. Wall Street and Main Street seemed optimistic about the economy’s future.^1,2

 

DOMESTIC ECONOMIC HEALTH
The Fed adjusted its dot-plot for the next three years as it raised the benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point in December. Its latest forecast projects two to three rate hikes per year through 2019, with three occurring this year. Fed policymakers see the economy expanding 2.1% in 2017.²

 

Employers grew their payrolls by 178,000 net new hires in November, noted the Department of Labor’s latest jobs report. Unemployment dropped 0.3% to 4.6%; the jobless rate was last that low in August 2007. (The broader U-6 rate, which also counts the underemployed, declined 0.2% to 9.3%, the lowest figure since April 2008.) The average hourly wage was $25.89, up 2.5% in the past year.³

 

The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing purchasing managers index gained 1.3 points in November, moving up to 53.2. ISM’s service sector PMI also improved, coming in at 57.2, 2.4 points above its October level. (In fact, this was the best reading for the service sector PMI in 13 months.)^4,5

 

Speaking of goods and services, the month ended with the federal government’s final assessment of third-quarter growth: 3.5%. Hard good orders, however, fell 4.6% in November, 6.6% with defense orders subtracted; industrial output was off 0.4% in the eleventh month of the year.^6,7

 

The Fed’s core PCE price index was flat for November and showed a 1.6% yearly advance. Both the headline and core Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% for November; in contrast, the headline and core Producer Price Index each rose 0.4%.^6,7

 

The Conference Board’s monthly index of consumer confidence jumped to 113.7 in December, rising 4.3 points. The year’s final University of Michigan household sentiment index came in slightly higher at a reading of 98.2.^4,6

 

Household confidence aside, November’s personal spending and retail sales numbers were run-of-the-mill. The Department of Commerce stated that consumer spending rose a modest 0.2% in November, while retail purchases were up but 0.1%, 0.2% with auto sales factored out. Personal incomes were flat.^6,7

 

GLOBAL ECONOMIC HEALTH
China’s official purchasing managers index showed a fifth consecutive month of factory growth in December; though, the 51.4 mark was 0.3 points below the November reading. Greater infrastructure spending and increased home construction in the PRC helped Chinese manufacturing sustain its pace in the second half of the year; although, factory output moderated slightly in December. The Bank of Japan left its key interest rate in negative territory last month, a reassuring decision for investors in the Asia-Pacific region.^8,9

The European Central Bank announced an extension of its bond-purchase program through December 2017. The caveat was that the ECB would trim the monthly amount of those purchases, starting in March, from €80 billion to €60 billion. Eurozone inflation was just 0.6% in the year’s last report, with the most recent data (Q3) putting economic growth at 0.3%. Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi resigned early in December after the effort of his Democratic Party to change Italy’s constitution was rejected by voters. That happened just as it appeared the country’s third-largest bank would need a bailout. As banking problems continued, observers wondered if the tenure of his replacement, Paolo Gentiloni, would be short.^10,11

 

WORLD MARKETS
Major European stock indices rallied their way toward 2017 in December. Out in front, Germany’s DAX advanced 7.90%. Going clockwise around the continent from there, Russia’s Micex gained 6.07%; France’s CAC 40, 6.20%; and Spain’s IBEX, 7.64%. Across the English Channel, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 gained 5.29%.¹²

 

The Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite suffered some large December losses. The former fell 3.46%; the latter, 4.51%. Argentina’s MERVAL slipped 3.01% for the month; Brazil’s Bovespa, 1.24%. December brought nice gains for some other indices in the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region, however. The Nikkei 225 rose 4.40%; the Australian All Ordinaries, 3.94%; the South Korean KOSPI, 2.43%. Just north of us, the TSX Composite added 1.36%; to our south, the Bolsa advanced 0.72%. India’s Sensex was essentially flat, off just 0.10% for the month. As for notable regional and multinational benchmarks, the FTSE Eurofirst 300 rose 5.74%; the MSCI World, 2.29%. The MSCI Emerging Markets fell just 0.06%.^12,13

 

COMMODITIES MARKETS

With OPEC nations set to reduce output, the price of oil was poised to rise – and rise it did. Crude finished the month at $53.89 on the NYMEX, gaining 10.02% in December. How much did oil advance in 2016? 46.12%. Other marquee energy futures had large December gains: heating oil rose 10.79%; natural gas, 11.89%; and unleaded gasoline, 12.85%. The major crop futures mostly lost ground – cotton slipped 1.30%; sugar, 1.51%; soybeans, 2.81%; coffee, 6.85%; and cocoa, 11.22%. Wheat and corn were exceptions. The former commodity gained 6.84%; the latter, 4.16%.¹⁴

 

December was not a good month for metals. Gold closed the year at $1,152.00 on the COMEX, losing 1.74%; silver futures declined 3.25% to end 2016 at $15.96. Across 2016, gold gained 7.18%, and silver, 15.04%. Copper lost 4.67% in December; platinum, 0.77%.¹⁴

 

REAL ESTATE
On the final Friday of 2016, Bloomberg found the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage at 4.09%, approaching a five-year high. A day earlier (December 29), Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey measured an average of 4.32%, up from 4.08% on December 1. Freddie also charted the following December rises for other key home loan varieties: 5/1-year ARM, 3.15% to 3.30%; 15-year FRM, 3.34% to 3.55%.^15,16

 

The latest data indicated that home sales had picked up in November. Resales increased 0.7% to an annual pace of 5.61 million units, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. New home buying jumped 5.2% in the eleventh month of 2016 by the measure of the Census Bureau. As for home prices, the October edition of the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index showed a 5.6% year-over-year gain, as opposed to 5.4% in September.^4,6

 

Looking to the near future in the housing market, the NAR reported a 2.5% drop in pending home sales in November following the 0.1% increase for October. Permits for new projects fell 4.7% in November as fall ebbed into winter; groundbreaking declined 18.7%.^4,6

LOOKING BACK…LOOKING FORWARD
On December 30, the most-watched U.S. indices closed out the year at the following levels: Dow Jones Industrial Average, 19,762.60; S&P 500, 2,238.83; NASDAQ Composite, 5,383.12; Russell 2000, 1,357.13; CBOE VIX, 14.04. Here are the monthly gains that took them to those levels: DJIA, 3.34%; S&P, 1.82%; NASDAQ, 1.12%; RUT, 2.63%; VIX, 5.33%. The S&P GSCI commodity index was the December front-runner on Wall Street, rising 5.56%. Defying the naysayers, the stock market performed quite respectably last year.¹

 

% CHANGE	2016	Q4 2016	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+13.42	+7.94	+12.35	+5.86
NASDAQ	+7.50	+1.34	+21.33	+12.29
S&P 500	+9.54	+3.25	+15.60	+5.79
REAL YIELD	12/30 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.50%	0.77%	-0.07%	2.41%

Sources: barchart.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 12/30/16^1,17,18,19

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.

 

Could the bull run slow to a trot this month? Or will the Dow rise above 20,000? Entering 2017, there are some factors that could certainly provide a tailwind for the bull market. If consumer confidence remains high, and employment and wage data continues showing improvement, this bodes well for consumer spending and, by extension, near-term corporate earnings. If infrastructure spending ramps up this year, the resulting job growth could also foster wage growth. So, while this current bull market is one of the longest, bullish sentiment has definitely increased, and January could be another month of gains for the major U.S. indices.

 

UPCOMING ECONOMIC RELEASES: The list for the rest of January includes the December ISM service sector PMI and Challenger job cut report (1/5); the Department of Labor’s December jobs report and data on November factory orders (1/6); the December PPI, December retail sales, and the initial January University of Michigan consumer sentiment index (1/13); a new Federal Reserve Beige Book, the December CPI, and December industrial output (1/18); December housing starts and building permits (1/19); December existing home sales (1/24); December new home sales (1/26); the first estimate of Q4 growth, January’s final University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, and December hard goods orders (1/27); the December PCE price index, December consumer spending, and December pending home sales (1/30); and, lastly, the January consumer confidence index from the Conference Board and the November S&P/Case-Shiller house price index (1/31).

 

Randy C. Benning, CFP®, President, License # 0816882, Benning Financial Group, LLC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Benning Financial Group, LLC, A Registered Investment Advisor, Benning Financial Group, LLC, is not affiliated with Triad Advisors. Securities offered through Triad Advisors Member FINRA, SIPC 

---

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 Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the small-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe. The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX®) is a key measure of market expectations of near-term volatility conveyed by S&P 500 stock index option prices. 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. The DAX 30 is a Blue Chip stock market index consisting of the 30 major German companies trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The MICEX 10 Index (Russian: Индекс ММВБ10) is an unweighted price index that tracks the ten most liquid Russian stocks listed on MICEX-RTS in Moscow. The CAC-40 Index is a narrow-based, modified capitalization-weighted index of 40 companies listed on the Paris Bourse. The IBEX 35 is the benchmark stock market index of the Bolsa de Madrid, Spain's principal stock exchange. The FTSE 100 Index is a share index of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with the highest market capitalization. The Hang Seng Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted stock market index that is the main indicator of the overall market performance in Hong Kong. The SSE Composite Index is an index of all stocks (A shares and B shares) that are traded at the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The MERVAL Index (MERcado de VALores, literally Stock Exchange) is the most important index of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange. The Bovespa Index is a gross total return index weighted by traded volume & is comprised of the most liquid stocks traded on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange. Nikkei 225 (Ticker: ^N225) is a stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). The Nikkei average is the most watched index of Asian stocks. The All Ordinaries (XAO) is considered a total market barometer for the Australian stock market and contains the 500 largest ASX-listed companies by way of market capitalization. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index or KOSPI is the major stock market index of South Korea, representing all common stocks traded on the Korea Exchange. The S&P/TSX Composite Index is an index of the stock (equity) prices of the largest companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) as measured by market capitalization. The Mexican Stock Exchange commonly known as Mexican Bolsa, Mexbol, or BMV, is the only stock exchange in Mexico. The BSE SENSEX (Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index), also-called the BSE 30 (BOMBAY STOCK EXCHANGE) or simply the SENSEX, is a free-float market capitalization-weighted stock market index of 30 well-established and financially sound companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The FTSE Eurofirst 300 measures the performance of Europe's largest 300 companies by market capitalization and covers 70% of Europe's market cap. The MSCI World Index is a free-float weighted equity index that includes developed world markets, and does not include emerging markets. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a float-adjusted market capitalization index consisting of indices in more than 25 emerging economies. The US Dollar Index measures the performance of the U.S. dollar against a basket of six currencies. The S&P GSCI is the first major investable commodity index; it is one of the most widely recognized benchmarks that is broad-based and production weighted to represent the global commodity market beta. 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 – barchart.com/stocks/indices.php?view=performance [12/30/16]

2 – cnbc.com/2016/12/14/fed-raises-rates-for-the-second-time-in-a-decade.html [12/14/16]

3 – blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2016/12/02/november-jobs-report-the-numbers-3/ [12/2/16]

4 – marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic [12/30/16]

5 – instituteforsupplymanagement.org/ISMReport/NonMfgROB.cfm [12/5/16]

6 – investing.com/economic-calendar/ [1/1/17]

7 – briefing.com/investor/calendars/economic/2016/12/12-16 [12/16/16]

8 – channelnewsasia.com/news/business/growth-in-china-s-factories-services-slows-in-december-official/3406468.html [12/31/16]

9 – cnbc.com/2016/12/19/asian-markets-to-focus-on-boj-decision-rba-minutes-and-currencies.html [12/19/16]

10 – orlandosentinel.com/business/sns-bc-eu–europe-economy-20161208-story.html [12/8/16]

11 – nytimes.com/2016/12/14/world/europe/italy-paolo-gentiloni.html [12/14/16]

12 – markets.on.nytimes.com/research/markets/worldmarkets/worldmarkets.asp [12/30/16]

13 – msci.com/end-of-day-data-search [12/30/16]

14 – money.cnn.com/data/commodities/ [12/30/16]

15 – fool.com/mortgages/2016/12/30/with-trump-reflation-mortgage-rates-end-2016-near.aspx [12/30/16]

16 – freddiemac.com/pmms/archive.html?year=2016l [12/30/16]

17 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=12%2F30%2F11&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

17 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=12%2F30%2F11&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

17 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=12%2F30%2F11&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

17 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

17 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

17 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

18 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [12/30/16]

19 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [12/30/16]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

A SURGE IN CONSUMER OPTIMISM

The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index continued to climb in December. Analysts polled by MarketWatch projected a reading of 110.0 for the gauge, but it beat that forecast, rising 4.3 points to a 15-year peak of 113.7. The major factor in the gain? Growing expectations of a better economy, particularly among older Americans. The CB’s monthly expectations index reached a high unseen since December 2003.^1,2

     

PENDING HOME SALES SLIP

Housing contract activity declined 2.5% in November, according to the latest research from the National Association of Realtors. In October, pending sales were up by just 0.1%.¹

 

YEARLY HOME PRICE GAINS INCREASE

October’s S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index came out last week, showing a 5.6% annualized improvement. In its September edition, the 12-month advance was 5.4%. The 20-city composite version of the index rose 5.1% in the year ending in October.^1,2

 

A BULLISH YEAR COMES TO A CLOSE

Stocks descended during the last trading week of 2016. The S&P 500 gave back 1.10% of its winter gains to end the year at 2,238.83. Blue chips held up better, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell just 0.86% for the week to 19,762.60. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite slumped 1.46% for the week, closing Friday at 5,383.12. For the year, the Dow gained 13.42%; the Nasdaq, 7.50%; the S&P 500, 9.54%; and the Russell 2000, 19.48%. The CBOE VIX lost 22.95%. A barrel of light sweet crude was worth $53.72 on the NYMEX as Wall Street’s trading week ended. WTI crude rose 45% in 2016 to have its best year since 2009.^3,4

 

THIS WEEK: Wall Street takes Monday off to observe the New Year’s Day holiday. Trading resumes Tuesday, with the December ISM manufacturing PMI being the big news item. Wednesday, minutes from the December Federal Reserve policy meeting arrive, plus the December ADP payrolls report and Q4 results from Sonic. Thursday offers the December ISM services PMI, the latest initial jobless claims numbers, the December Challenger job-cut report, and earnings from Constellation Brands, Container Store, Monsanto, PriceSmart, Ruby Tuesday, and Walgreens Boots Alliance. The Department of Labor’s December jobs report comes out Friday, along with data on November factory orders.

 

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+13.42	+12.26	+12.35	+5.86
NASDAQ	+7.50	+6.26	+21.33	+12.29
S&P 500	+9.54	+8.50	+15.60	+5.79
REAL YIELD	12/30 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.50%	0.77%	-0.07%	2.41%

Randy C. Benning, CFP®, President, License # 0816882, Benning Financial Group, LLC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Benning Financial Group, LLC, A Registered Investment Advisor, Benning Financial Group, LLC, is not affiliated with Triad Advisors. Securities offered through Triad Advisors Member FINRA, SIPC

Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 12/30/16^3,5,6,7

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.

---

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. 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 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 indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. 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. 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. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. 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.

Citations.

1 – marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic [12/30/16]

2 – nytimes.com/2016/12/27/business/trump-consumer-confidence-index-real-estate-home-prices-on-the-rise.html [12/27/16]

3 – markets.wsj.com/us [12/30/16]

4 – thestreet.com/story/13939313/1/dow-s-amp-p-500-and-nasdaq-close-out-2016-with-strong-gains.html [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=12%2F30%2F15&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=12%2F30%2F15&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=12%2F30%2F15&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=12%2F30%2F11&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=12%2F30%2F11&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=12%2F30%2F11&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=12%2F29%2F06&x=0&y=0 [12/30/16]

6 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [12/30/16]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [12/30/16]