Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

TRADE WAR POSSIBILITY WEIGHS ON STOCKS

Last week, the U.S. imposed excise taxes on steel and aluminum imported from select countries and announced that up to $60 billion of Chinese imports would also soon face tariffs. These protectionist moves weakened bullish sentiment on Wall Street. The S&P 500 fell steadily Thursday and Friday and had its worst week since 2016, slipping 5.95% to 2,588.26; the Dow Industrials sank 5.67% on the week to 23,533.20. The Nasdaq Composite settled at 6,992.67, down 6.54% for the week. 1,2

FED MAKES ITS FIRST INTEREST RATE MOVE OF 2018

After Federal Reserve officials voted to increase the target range on the federal funds rate by 0.25% to the 1.50-1.75% level Thursday, their dot-plot forecast showed no change in the pace of tightening planned for this year. Three hikes are projected for 2019 and two more in 2020. In succession, the increases envisioned for 2018-20 could leave rates near 3.4% by the final quarter of 2020.3

EXISTING HOME SALES INCREASE

New National Association of Realtors data shows that the sales pace improved 3.0% in February. That left resales 1.1% higher, year-over-year. The same cannot be said for new home purchases: they fell 0.6% last month according to the Census Bureau, leaving the seasonally adjusted annual sales rate at its weakest level since October. 4,5

MEANWHILE, OIL SURGES

WTI crude staged a major rally last week, jumping up 5.6% to close Friday at $65.74 a barrel on the NYMEX. With equities under pressure, gold also gained more allure: prices rose 0.8% across five days to $1,352.90 on the COMEX. 2,6

THIS WEEK

Monday, Paychex and Red Hat report earnings. On Tuesday, the Conference Board presents its March consumer confidence index; the Street also considers earnings from Lululemon Athletica, Restoration Hardware, Shoe Carnival, and Sonic. Wednesday, investors await the third Q4 GDP estimate, the February pending home sales index from the NAR, and earnings announcements from Blackberry, GameStop, Hudson’s Bay Co., and Walgreens Boots Alliance. February personal spending numbers, the final March University of Michigan consumer sentiment index, and Q4 results from Constellation Brands appear Thursday. Nothing major is scheduled for Friday.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	-4.80	+13.93	+12.43	+8.75
NASDAQ	+1.29	+20.20	+23.10	+20.05
S&P 500	-3.19	+10.33	+13.25	+9.17
REAL YIELD	1/5 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.75%	0.46%	-0.60%	1.24%

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: finance.google.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 3/23/18

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 – nytimes.com/2018/03/23/business/trade-tariffs-markets-stocks-bonds.html [3/23/18]/span>

2 – markets.wsj.com/us [3/23/18]

3 – marketwatch.com/story/fed-lifts-rates-in-powells-first-meeting-says-outlook-has-strengthened-2018-03-21 [3/21/18]

4 – tradingeconomics.com/united-states/existing-home-sales [3/23/18]

5 – tradingeconomics.com/united-states/new-home-sales [3/23/18]

6 – quotes.wsj.com/futures/CRUDE%20OIL%20-%20ELECTRONIC [3/23/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F23%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/23/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F23%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/23/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F23%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/23/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F22%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/23/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F22%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/23/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F22%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/23/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F24%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/23/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F24%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/23/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F24%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/23/18]

8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [3/23/18]

9 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [3/23/18]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

PRICE GAINS EASE

There was no half-percent spike in inflation in February. In contrast to January’s big jump, the headline Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% in the second month of 2018, with the core CPI following suit; the year-over-year CPI gain ticked slightly higher to 2.2%. The headline and core Producer Price Index also increased 0.2% last month; yearly wholesale inflation rose just 0.1% to 2.8%. 1

THE CONSUMER IS CONFIDENT

Displaying a preliminary March reading of 102.0, the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index reached a 14-year peak last week. Analysts polled by Reuters expected the gauge to decline 0.6 points to 99.3. As for consumer habits, the Department of Commerce just noted a 0.1% retreat for retail sales in February; sales advanced 0.3% with gas and auto buying factored out. 1,2

RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION FLAGS

Overall housing starts fell 7.0% last month, according to the Census Bureau. The silver lining: groundbreaking on single-family projects increased 2.9%. Building permits decreased 5.7%. 3

INVESTORS SELL AS THEY WAIT ON THE FED

During the trading week before the Federal Reserve’s March policy meeting, all three major Wall Street benchmarks staged retreats. The Nasdaq Composite declined 1.04% across the week to 7,481.99; the S&P 500 fell 1.24% to 2,752.01. Blue chips took the biggest hit: the Dow Jones Industrial Average settled 1.54% lower for the week, slipping to 24,946.51 Friday. Rising 6.56% in five days, the CBOE VIX concluded the week at 15.60. 4

THIS WEEK

Oracle announces quarterly results on Monday. Tuesday, FedEx and Steelcase present earnings. Wednesday, investors anticipate an interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve; in addition to the Fed’s latest policy announcement, the news stream also includes February existing home sales and earnings from Five Below, General Mills, Guess, and Winnebago. Thursday, Wall Street reviews new initial jobless claims figures and earnings news from Accenture, BP Midstream Partners, Carnival, Cintas, ConAgra Brands, Darden Restaurants, KB Home, Lands’ End, Michaels Companies, Micron Technology, and Nike. On Friday, reports on February hard goods orders and new home sales arrive.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+0.92	+19.16	+14.38	+10.84
NASDAQ	+8.38	+26.80	+26.06	+24.37
S&P 500	+2.93	+15.56	+15.27	+11.56
REAL YIELD	1/5 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.77%	0.51%	-0.55%	1.05%

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: finance.google.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 3/16/18

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/ [3/16/18][3/9/18]

2 – cnbc.com/2018/03/16/march-consumer-sentiment.html [3/16/18]

3 – bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-16/u-s-housing-starts-cooled-in-february-after-robust-january [3/16/18]

4 – markets.wsj.com/us [3/16/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F16%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F16%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F16%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]/span>

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F15%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F15%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F15%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F15%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F17%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F17%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F17%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/16/18]

6 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [3/16/18]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [3/16/18]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

FEBRUARY SAW A HIRING SURGE

Payroll growth was truly impressive last month. According to the latest Department of Labor report, employers added 313,000 net new jobs, including 61,000 in the construction industry; economists polled by Reuters projected a total February gain of 200,000. With the labor force participation rate reaching a 6-month high, the headline jobless rate stayed at 4.1% and the broader U-6 rate at 8.2%. Yearly wage growth declined to 2.6%. 1

SERVICE BUSINESSES ARE THRIVING

The Institute for Supply Management’s February snapshot of service industry growth was quite positive. ISM’s non-manufacturing purchasing manager index did wane slightly, losing 0.4 points to 59.5, but the reading shows a very healthy service sector. January’s 59.9 mark was the best seen since August 2005. 2

WTI CRUDE TOPS $62

As Wall Street’s closing bell sounded Friday, oil settled at $62.04. A 3% Friday gain left the commodity up for the week, even after the Energy Information Agency said that daily U.S. output had increased to nearly 10.4 million barrels, a record. 3

FRIDAY RALLY ENDS BULLISH WEEK

A strong jobs report surpassed forecasts, and the dip in annualized wage growth hinted at manageable inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 441 points Friday. The blue chips gained 3.25% in five days to wrap up the week at 25,335.74. Across five trading sessions, the S&P 500 rose 3.54% to 2,786.57, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 4.17% to 7,560.81 – a new record close for that tech-heavy benchmark. 4,5

THIS WEEK

Nothing major is slated for Monday. February’s Consumer Price Index arrives Tuesday, plus quarterly results from Dick’s Sporting Goods and DSW. Investors consider reports on February retail sales and wholesale inflation on Wednesday, along with earnings news from Del Taco, Smart & Final, Smith Micro, Stein Mart, Tailored Brands, and Williams-Sonoma. Wall Street looks at new initial claims figures Thursday, and earnings from Broadcom Ltd., Dollar General, Jabil, and Lifetime Brands. On Friday, the Census Bureau releases data on February housing starts and building permits, the University of Michigan publishes its preliminary March consumer sentiment index, and Kirkland’s, Perry Ellis, and Tiffany & Co. make earnings announcements.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+2.49	+21.47	+15.20	+11.58
NASDAQ	+9.52	+29.49	+26.61	+24.85
S&P 500	+4.22	+17.83	+15.93	+1.88
REAL YIELD	1/5 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.78%	0.60%	-0.50%	0.90%

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: finance.google.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 3/9/18

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 – cnbc.com/2018/03/09/nonfarm-payrolls-february.html [3/9/18]

2 – briefing.com/Investor/Calendars/Economic/Releases/napmserv.htm [3/9/18]

3 – investing.com/news/commodities-news/crude-oil-prices-settle-higher-as-us-oil-rigs-fall-for-first-time-in-7-weeks-1334831 [3/9/18]

4 – markets.wsj.com/us [3/2/18]

5 – reuters.com/article/us-usa-tech-stocks/high-performance-u-s-tech-stocks-drive-nasdaq-to-record-high-idUSKCN1GL2QC [3/9/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F9%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F9%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F9%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F8%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F8%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F8%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F10%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F10%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F10%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/9/18]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [3/9/18]

8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [3/9/18]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

CB: PLENTY OF CONFIDENCE IN THE ECONOMY

The Conference Board’s monthly consumer confidence index soared to 130.8 in February – the highest reading seen since November 2000. In January, the gauge was at 124.3. (In the middle of the Great Recession, the index hovered near 25.) 1

SOLID READINGS ON SOME KEY INDICATORS

Further fundamental economic data released last week looked strong. Personal incomes improved 0.4% in January, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis; that matched the December increase. Personal spending advanced 0.2% last month. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing purchasing manager index reached 60.8 in February, up 1.7 points from its impressive January level. Lastly, the BEA made its third, concluding estimate of Q4 GDP last week: 2.5%. 2

NEW HOME SALES RETREATED 7.8% IN JANUARY

This decline occurred even as new home inventory reached a 9-year high. With mortgage rates reaching 4.4% and the median new home price up 2.5% in a month to $323,000, prospective buyers were deterred. The Census Bureau says the rate of new home purchases was down 1.0% year-over-year through January. 3

MAJOR INDICES TAKE WEEKLY LOSSES

Al three of Wall Street’s big benchmarks fell as February gave way to March. Losing 1.08% for the week, the Nasdaq Composite settled at 7,257.87 Friday. The S&P 500 retreated 2.04% in five days, ending the week at 2,691.25. Hit hardest, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 3.05% across the week to 24,538.06. 4

THIS WEEK

ISM releases its latest service sector PMI on Monday. Tuesday, earnings announcements arrive from Autodesk, H&R Block, Ross Stores, Target, and Urban Outfitters. Wednesday, the Street reviews earnings from Abercrombie & Fitch, Caesars Entertainment, Casey’s General Stores, Costco, Dollar Tree, Thor Industries, and Vivint Solar; in addition, the Federal Reserve offers a new Beige Book, and ADP provides its February payrolls snapshot. A new Challenger job-cut report comes out Thursday, along with the latest initial jobless claims figures and earnings results from Dell Technologies, Hovnanian, Global Partners, Kroger, Navistar, Stage Stores, and Verifone. Friday, investors will consider the Department of Labor’s February jobs report and Q4 results from Revlon.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	-0.73	+16.83	+14.83	+10.02
NASDAQ	+5.13	+23.83	+25.79	+22.13
S&P 500	+0.66	+12.99	+15.45	+10.21
REAL YIELD	1/5 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.74%	0.48%	-0.67%	1.08%

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: finance.google.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 3/2/18

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 – marketwatch.com/story/consumer-confidence-in-us-hits-highest-level-since-november-2000-2018-02-27 [2/27/18]

2 – investing.com/economic-calendar/ [3/2/18]

3 – reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy/u-s-new-home-sales-hit-5-month-low-supply-highest-since-2009-idUSKCN1GA1X9 [2/26/18]

4 – markets.wsj.com/us [3/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F2%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F2%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F2%2F17&x=0&y=0 [3/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F1%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F1%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F1%2F13&x=0&y=0 [3/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=3%2F3%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=3%2F3%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=3%2F3%2F08&x=0&y=0 [3/2/18]

6 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [3/2/18]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [3/2/18]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

INFLATION SUDDENLY INTENSIFIES

The Consumer Price Index rose 0.5% in January, its greatest month-over-month advance since January 2017. Core inflation (minus food and energy prices) increased 0.3%, marking the largest monthly gain in almost 13 years.
1

RETAIL SALES PACE SLOWS

Contradicting perceptions that the economy might be overheating, retail purchases fell 0.3% in January. Minus car buying, retail sales would have been unchanged for a second straight month, as a Department of Commerce revision rendered the previously announced December gain flat. 2

DEVELOPERS BUILT MORE IN JANUARY

Groundbreaking increased 9.7% last month, according to a Census Bureau report. The first month of the year also brought a 7.4% rise in building permits. 3

TAILWINDS RETURN TO WALL STREET

In the wake of the correction, the major indices rebounded nicely last week. The Nasdaq Composite led the way, rising 5.31% to a Friday settlement of 7,239.47. Bulls also sent the Dow Industrials and S&P 500 much higher: the Dow gained 4.25% on the week to 25,219.38, while the S&P rose 4.30% to 2,732.22. The CBOE VIX volatility index is certainly on a wild ride: it fell 33.52% across last week to 19.32, but remained up 75.00% YTD. In the commodities sector, oil staged a notable comeback, rallying 4.2% in five days to finish the week at $61.68 on the NYMEX. 4

THIS WEEK

Monday is Presidents Day: U.S. financial markets are closed. The earnings roll call for Tuesday includes results from Cardtronics, Cracker Barrel, Domino’s Pizza, Duke Energy, Fluor, Fresh Del Monte Produce, Home Depot, HSBC, Medtronic, Noble Energy, Public Storage, Sempra Energy, Transocean, and Walmart. On Wednesday, Wall Street considers January existing home sales, minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January policy meeting, and earnings from Avis Budget Group, Cheesecake Factory, Dish Network, Garmin, Kaiser Aluminum, Owens Corning, Pandora Media, Roku, Sunoco, and Wendy’s. A new initial jobless claims report arrives on Thursday, plus earnings news from Bloomin’ Brands, Chesapeake Energy, Edison International, First Solar, GoDaddy, Herbalife, Hewlett-Packard, Hormel, Intuit, Planet Fitness, Wayfair, and Wingstop. Huntsman and KBR present earnings Friday.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+2.02	+22.31	+16.07	+10.42
NASDAQ	+4.87	+24.50	+25.36	+21.18
S&P 500	+2.19	+16.40	+15.96	+10.24
REAL YIELD	1/5 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.78%	0.43%	-0.53%	1.48%

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: finance.google.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 2/16/18

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 – thestreet.com/story/14488773/1/bond-yields-surge-as-investors-anticipate-rate-hikes-following-inflation-uptick.html [2/14/18]

2 – marketwatch.com/story/us-retail-sales-slump-in-january—and-december-doesnt-look-so-good-now-either-2018-02-14/ [2/16/18]

3 – investing.com/economic-calendar/ [2/16/18]

4 – markets.wsj.com/us [2/16/18]

5 – marketwatch.com/story/us-oil-benchmark-aims-for-3-day-win-streak-ahead-of-rig-data-2018-02-16 [2/16/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F16%2F17&x=0&y=0 [2/16/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F16%2F17&x=0&y=0 [2/16/18]

6- bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F16%2F17&x=0&y=0 [2/16/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F15%2F13&x=0&y=0 [2/16/18]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F15%2F13&x=0&y=0 [2/16/18]

6- bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F15%2F13&x=0&y=0 [2/16/18]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [2/16/18]

8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [2/16/18]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

WALL STREET SEES ITS FIRST CORRECTION SINCE 2016

On Friday, the S&P 500 settled at 2,619.55, down 5.16% for the week. Thursday, it entered correction territory just nine days after its January 26 record close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average made even bigger headlines last week by taking two 1,000-point drops within four days, the second occurring Thursday.

Last Monday, U.S. equities took their largest single-session fall in more than six years as higher interest rates for bonds and inflation concerns strengthened selling pressure. To add to the anxiety, two of the financial industry’s top ‘roboadvisor’ websites crashed during Monday’s rout, frustrating individual investors. The Dow retreated 5.21% for the week to 24,190.90, while the Nasdaq Composite slid 5.06% to 6,874.49. 1,2,3

SERVICE SECTOR GREW RAPIDLY IN JANUARY

At a mark of 59.9, the Institute for Supply Management’s latest purchasing manager index for the service sector bettered the forecast of analysts polled by Briefing.com, who expected a small climb to 56.7. The index was at 56.0 for December. 4

EARNINGS LOOK STRONG

FactSet’s latest analysis of corporate profits shows a 14% Q4 earnings growth rate and a Q4 sales growth rate of 8.0% for the S&P 500. Through Friday, 65% of S&P 500 companies had reported quarterly results. 5

A RETREAT FOR CRUDE

Oil also had a poor week, descending 9.6% in five trading days to a Friday NYMEX settlement price of $59.20. It rebounded Friday from an intraday low of $58.07. 6

THIS WEEK

Heineken and Loews Corp. announce earnings on Monday. Baidu, Blue Apron, Denny’s, Kemper, MetLife, PepsiCo, Under Armour, Voya Financial, and Weibo present results Tuesday. Investors review January’s Consumer Price Index and retail sales report Wednesday, along with earnings news from Agilent Technologies, Applied Materials, Cisco, Credit Suisse, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Hyatt Hotels, Marathon Oil, Marriott, Molson Coors, TripAdvisor, and Wyndham Worldwide. On Thursday, the earnings parade includes Avon, CBS, Nestlé, Shake Shack, Sonoco, and Waste Management; reports on initial jobless claims and January wholesale inflation also surface. The University of Michigan’s initial February consumer sentiment index arrives Friday, plus data on January construction activity and industrial production and earnings from Campbell Soup, Coca-Cola, Deere & Co., Enbridge, J.M. Smucker, Kraft Heinz, Ryder Systems, and Vulcan Materials.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	-2.14	+19.92	+14.58	+9.86
NASDAQ	-0.24	+20.28	+23.05	+19.83
S&P 500	-2.02	+13.51	+14.51	+9.86
REAL YIELD	1/5 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.78%	0.41%	-0.57%	1.36%

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: finance.google.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 2/9/18

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 – markets.wsj.com/us [2/9/18]

2 – seattletimes.com/business/us-stocks-snap-higher-a-day-after-entering-a-correction/ [2/9/18]

3 – businessinsider.com/betterment-and-wealthfront-crash-during-market-bloodbath-2018-2 [2/5/18]

4 – briefing.com/investor/calendars/economic/2018/02/05-09 [2/9/18]

5 – insight.factset.com/sp-500-companies-with-more-global-exposure-reporting-higher-earnings-growth-in-q4 [2/9/18]

6 – cnbc.com/2018/02/09/oil-falls-below-60-for-first-time-in-2018-on-pace-for-big-weekly-drop.html [2/9/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F9%2F17&x=0&y=0 [2/9/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F9%2F17&x=0&y=0 [2/9/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F9%2F17&x=0&y=0 [2/9/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F8%2F13&x=0&y=0 [2/9/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F8%2F13&x=0&y=0 [2/9/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F8%2F13&x=0&y=0 [2/9/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F8%2F08&x=0&y=0 [2/9/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F8%2F08&x=0&y=0 [2/9/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F8%2F08&x=0&y=0 [2/9/18]

8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [2/9/18]

9 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [2/9/18]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

WAGE GROWTH PICKS UP AT LAST

In January, average hourly pay was 2.9% higher than it was a year earlier. That was the key takeaway from the Department of Labor’s latest jobs report, which noted the addition of 200,000 net new workers last month. In January, the headline unemployment rate stayed at 4.1%; the broader U-6 rate, which counts the underemployed, ticked up to 8.2%. 1

ISM: FACTORY SECTOR IN GREAT SHAPE

The Institute for Supply Management released its January purchasing manager index for the manufacturing industry last week, and the reading of 59.1 surpassed the forecast, made by economists surveyed by MarketWatch, by half a point. A reading approaching 60 indicates significant expansion. 2

HOUSEHOLDS SPEND MORE, REMAIN OPTIMISTIC

Personal spending and incomes rose 0.4% in December, according to a Department of Commerce report. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index climbed 2.3 points to 125.4 in January, while the University of Michigan’s final January consumer sentiment index came in at 95.7 Friday, 1.3 points above its prior reading. 2

STOCKS SLUMP AS FEBRUARY BEGINS

As the 10-year Treasury yield hit 2.85% during Friday’s Wall Street trading session, bears came out of hiding. New wage growth data only added to investor concerns about rising inflation – and how the Federal Reserve might respond to it. For the week: the S&P 500 fell 3.85% to 2,762.13; the Dow Industrials, 4.12% to 25,520.96; the Nasdaq Composite, 3.53% to 7,240.95. 3,4

THIS WEEK

ISM’s service sector PMI appears Monday, along with earnings from Bristol-Myers, Macerich, Panasonic, Suzuki, and Sysco. Akamai, Allergan PLC, Anadarko Petroleum, Aramark, Beazer Homes, BP, Chipotle, Container Store, Cummins, Dunkin’ Brands, General Motors, Genworth Financial, Gilead Sciences, Netgear, Snap, Spirit Airlines, and Walt Disney Co. release earnings Tuesday. Wednesday’s earnings roll call includes news from Allstate, Callaway Golf, Exelon, GlaxoSmithKline, Hasbro, Humana, Invacare, Michael Kors, NetEase, O’Reilly, Peabody Energy, Prudential Financial, Rio Tinto, Take-Two Interactive, Tesla, Twenty-First Century Fox, Valvoline, Yelp, and Zynga. Thursday, a new initial claims report arrives, plus earnings from Activision Blizzard, CBRE, Coty, CVS Health, Expedia, Goodyear, GrubHub, HanesBrands, Kellogg, Lions Gate, NCR, Nvidia, Penske, Philip Morris, Teva Pharmaceuticals, The Hartford, Twitter, Tyson Foods, VeriSign, Viacom, W.R. Grace, and Yum! Brands. Friday, nothing major is scheduled.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+3.24	+28.34	+16.43	+10.03
NASDAQ	+4.89	+28.47	+25.55	+20.00
S&P 500	+3.31	+21.10	+16.51	+9.79
REAL YIELD	1/5 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.70%	0.43%	-0.55%	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

Sources: finance.google.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 2/2/18

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 – nbcnews.com/business/economy/u-s-added-200-000-jobs-january-n843996 [2/2/18]

2 – marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic [2/2/18]

3 – tinyurl.com/y7wgwjtg [2/2/18]

4 – markets.wsj.com/us [2/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F2%2F17&x=0&y=0 [2/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F2%2F17&x=0&y=0 [2/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F2%2F17&x=0&y=0 [2/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F1%2F13&x=0&y=0 [2/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F1%2F13&x=0&y=0 [2/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F1%2F13&x=0&y=0 [2/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=2%2F1%2F08&x=0&y=0 [2/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=2%2F1%2F08&x=0&y=0 [2/2/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=2%2F1%2F08&x=0&y=0 [2/2/18]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [2/2/18]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

THE ECONOMY EXPANDED 2.6% IN Q4

The Department of Commerce’s first estimate of fourth-quarter gross domestic product was 0.6% below the Q3 number, but still well above the 2.1% rate the nation has averaged in the recovery from the Great Recession. America saw 2.3% economic growth in 2017, according to the report. 1

HOME SALES RETREATED DURING THE HOLIDAYS

Winter chill possibly encouraged the decline as much as high prices and low inventory. The National Association of Realtors noted a 3.6% slump in resales in December, while the Census Bureau said that new home purchases fell 9.3% last month. Existing home sales improved 1.1% during 2017; new home sales, 8.3%. 2

OIL REBOUNDS, REACHES $66

WTI crude advanced 4.5% in five trading days, settling at $66.14 Friday on the NYMEX. That was its highest close in more than three years. Crude prices have risen for five of the past six weeks. 3

KEY STOCK INDICES CLIMB

Wall Street’s big three performed well last week, as these advances show: Dow 30, +2.09% to 26,616.71; S&P 500, +2.23% to 2,872.97; Nasdaq Composite, +2.31% to 7,505.77. Meanwhile, the NYSE Arca Biotech benchmark rose an astounding 9.16%. 4

THIS WEEK

Monday, December personal spending figures appear, plus earnings from Lockheed Martin and Seagate. The latest Conference Board consumer confidence index surfaces Tuesday in addition to earnings from Aetna, Ally Financial, Chubb, Corning, Electronic Arts, Harley-Davidson, McDonalds, Nucor, Pfizer, Pulte Group, Stryker, and T. Rowe Price. Wednesday, the Federal Reserve wraps up a policy meeting; the Street also considers December pending home sales, an ADP payrolls report, and earnings from Aflac, Anthem, Arcelor Mittal, AT&T, Avery Dennison, Boeing, Citrix, D.R. Horton, eBay, Facebook, Ingersoll-Rand, Eli Lilly, MetLife, Microsoft, Mondelez, PayPal, Pitney Bowes, Qualcomm, Symantec, U.S. Steel, and Xerox. ISM’s January factory PMI arrives Thursday, along with earnings from Alibaba, Alphabet, Altria Group, Amazon, Amgen, Apple, AutoNation, Cigna, ConocoPhillips, DowDuPont, GoPro, Hershey, International Paper, Marathon Petroleum, MasterCard, Mattel, Motorola Solutions, Nokia, Parker Hannifin, Quest Diagnostics, Ralph Lauren, Regis, Royal Dutch Shell, Time Warner, Valero Energy, and Visa. The Department of Labor’s January jobs report and the final January University of Michigan consumer sentiment index roll out Friday, plus earnings from Chevron, Clorox, Estee Lauder, ExxonMobil, Honda, Merck, Phillips 66, Sony, Sprint, and Weyerhaeuser.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+7.68	+32.42	+18.31	+11.80
NASDAQ	+8.73	+32.72	+27.66	+22.27
S&P 500	+7.45	+25.09	+18.23	+11.59
REAL YIELD	1/5 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.57%	0.43%	-0.56%	1.34%

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: finance.google.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 1/26/18

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.

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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. 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 – nytimes.com/2018/01/26/business/economy/gdp-economy.html [1/26/18]

2 – apnews.com/721aacbd0d354c2e8c4e32d6daf332da [1/26/18]

3 – marketwatch.com/story/oil-takes-to-split-path-as-dollar-rally-fades-2018-01-26 [1/26/18]]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F26%2F17&x=0&y=0 [1/26/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F26%2F17&x=0&y=0 [1/26/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F26%2F17&x=0&y=0 [1/26/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F25%2F13&x=0&y=0 [1/26/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F25%2F13&x=0&y=0 [1/26/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F25%2F13&x=0&y=0 [1/26/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F25%2F08&x=0&y=0 [1/26/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F25%2F08&x=0&y=0 [1/26/18]

5 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F25%2F08&x=0&y=0 [1/26/18]

7 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [1/26/18]

Randy C. Benning, CFP Presents:

CONSUMER SENTIMENT READING COOLS

The initial January University of Michigan consumer sentiment index came in at 94.4 last week, 1.5 points beneath its final reading of 2017 and 4.1 points under its level of one year ago. Without prompting, 34% of respondents to the latest UMich survey brought up the subject of the recent federal tax reforms; 70% of them felt the reforms would have a positive effect on their lives; 18%, a negative effect. 1

WINTER WEAKENS HOUSING STARTS

New Census Bureau data shows groundbreaking decreased 8.2% in December after a (revised) 3.0% November gain. Building permits ticked down 0.1% last month. 2

BITCOIN PLUMMETS & RECOVERS; OIL DESCENDS

Commodity investors watched the premier digital currency crest above $14,000 Monday, sink under $10,000 Wednesday, and rebound to a price of $11,400.35 as Wall Street’s trading week ended. Friday, the International Energy Agency predicted U.S. oil output would near a 50-year peak in 2018. That hurt prices and left WTI crude 1.5% lower for the week; it fell to $63.37 at Friday’s closing bell. 3,4

DOW REACHES ITS SECOND MILESTONE IN A MONTH

Last week, the blue chips improved 1.04% on the way to a Friday settlement of 26,071.72. On Tuesday, the benchmark closed above 26,000 to complete the quickest 1,000-point climb in its history: it took only eight days. (The previous record was 23 trading sessions.) The Nasdaq Composite (+1.04% to 7,336.38) and S&P 500 (+0.86% to 2,810.30) also logged weekly advances. 5,6

THIS WEEK

Halliburton, Netflix, TD Ameritrade, UBS, and Zions Bancorp issue earnings Monday. Capital One, Fifth Third, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Procter & Gamble, State Street, Texas Instruments, Travelers Companies, and Verizon join the earnings parade Tuesday. December existing home sales figures appear Wednesday, plus earnings from Abbott Labs, Ameriprise Financial, Comcast, Discover, Ford Motor Co., General Dynamics, General Electric, Grainger, Legg Mason, Northern Trust, Novartis, Rockwell Automation, Royal Caribbean International, Stanley Black & Decker, United Rentals, and Whirlpool. On Thursday, December new home sales numbers emerge, plus the latest initial jobless claims report and earnings from 3M, Alaska Air Group, American Airlines, Biogen, Caterpillar, Celanese, Celgene, Fiat Chrysler, Freeport-McMoRan, Intel, JetBlue, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Sherwin Williams, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Union Pacific, and Western Digital. The first estimate of Q4 economic expansion arrives Friday, along with earnings news from Colgate-Palmolive, Honeywell, NextEra Energy, and Rockwell Collins.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+5.47	+32.13	+18.20	+11.55
NASDAQ	+6.27	+32.42	+26.81	+21.35
S&P 500	+5.11	+24.15	+17.82	+11.21
REAL YIELD	1/5 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR TIPS	0.58%	0.43%	-0.66%	1.42%

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: finance.google.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 1/19/18

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 [1/19/18]

2 – investing.com/economic-calendar [1/19/18]

3 – marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-slip-from-3-year-high-as-traders-wait-for-trump-move-on-iran-2018-01-12 [1/19/18]

4 – marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-sink-1-head-for-biggest-weekly-loss-since-oct-2018-01-19/ [1/19/18]

5 – nytimes.com/reuters/2018/01/17/business/17reuters-usa-stocks-dow-factbox.html [1/17/18]

6 – markets.wsj.com/us [1/19/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F19%2F17&x=0&y=0 [1/19/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F19%2F17&x=0&y=0 [1/19/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F19%2F17&x=0&y=0 [1/19/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F18%2F13&x=0&y=0 [1/19/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F18%2F13&x=0&y=0 [1/19/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F18%2F13&x=0&y=0 [1/19/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=1%2F18%2F08&x=0&y=0 [1/19/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=1%2F18%2F08&x=0&y=0 [1/19/18]

7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=1%2F18%2F08&x=0&y=0 [1/19/18]

8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [1/19/18]

9 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [1/19/18]