Wednesday, November 27, 2013

It's The Economy Stupid: Happy Thanksgiving Economics

Economic Event

Period

Economic Survey

Actual Reported

Original Prior

Revised Prior

MBA Mortgage Applications

Nov 22

--

-0.3%

-2.3%

--

Initial Jobless Claims

Nov 23

330K

316K

323K

326K

Continuing Claims

Nov 16

2850K

2776K

2876K

2867K

Durable Goods Orders

Oct

-2.0%

-2.0%

3.7%

4.1%

Durables Ex Transportation

Oct

0.5%

-0.1%

-0.1%

0.2%

Cap Goods Orders Nondef Ex Air

Oct

0.8%

-1.2%

-1.1%

-1.4%

Cap Goods Ship Nondef Ex Air

Oct

-0.2%

-0.2%

-0.2%

--

Chicago Fed Nat Activity Index

Oct

0.1

-0.18

0.14

0.18

 

Happy National Tryptophan Day!!!!

 

Jobless Claims unexpectedly fell to the lowest level in two months.  Far fewer Americans than projected filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the labor market is showing resilience.  Jobless claims in the week ended Nov. 23 declined 10,000 to 316,000, the fewest in two months, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The median forecast of 44 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for an increase to 330,000.   The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, fell to 331,750 from 339,250.  The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits dropped by 91,000 to 2.78 million in the week ended Nov. 16, the fewest since January 2008.

 

Durable Goods orders, bookings for goods meant to last at least three years, decreased 2 percent, matching the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg, after a 4.1 percent gain in September that was larger than initially reported.  Orders for aircraft and capital goods, such as machinery and computers, slumped.

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE ECONOMY.  Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy, is needed to help

drive growth and boost employment.  So consider it your job to help the economy and go out this weekend and but some Christmas presents.

 

HAPPY THANKISGIVING! 

----------------------

Somedays you're the dog, and somedays you're the fire hydrant.

 

John Broussard

Assistant State Treasurer

Chief Investment Officer

State of Louisiana

Department of the Treasury

225-342-0013

jbroussard@treasury.state.la.us

 

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

It's The Economy Stupid: Market Close

Okay, U.S. stock markets up, European stock markets down, Asian stock markets down.  Bonds were up, Currencies down, Gold down.  U.S. stocks once again rose to record levels as Apple Inc. led a rally in technology shares and improving housing data lifted builders. European stocks fell for the first time in three days, while Treasuries gained.  The Nasdaq Composite Index finished above 4,000 for the first time since the year 2000.

 

Description

Ticker

Last

Change

% Chg Today

% Chg 1Year

 

STOCK MARKETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dow Jones Industrial Average

INDU Index

16072.860

0.3200

0.0020

24.0595

 

S&P 500 Index

SPX Index

1805.230

2.7500

0.1526

28.5780

 

NASDAQ 100 Index

NDX Index

3445.764

18.2750

0.5332

30.0932

 

NASDAQ Composite Index

CCMP Index

4017.749

23.1750

0.5802

35.1069

 

Russell 3000 Index

RAY Index

1079.280

1.2600

0.1169

30.0503

 

Russell 1000 Index (Large Cap)

RIY Index

1003.300

0.5300

0.0529

29.2303

 

Russell 2000 Index (Small Cap)

RTY Index

1134.460

9.7300

0.8651

40.2363

 

Wilshire 5000 Total Market

W5000 Index

19155.300

29.2800

0.1531

30.3399

 

TREASURIES

% Yield

 

 

 

 

 

3 Month Treasury

0.0710

 

0.0000

0.0000

 

 

6 Month Treasury

0.1065

 

0.0100

11.1111

 

 

2 Year Treasury

0.2932

99.914

0.0039

0.0039

 

 

5 Year Treasury

1.3107

99.719

0.1172

0.1177

 

 

10 Year Treasury

2.7085

100.359

0.1719

0.1716

 

 

30 Year Treasury

3.8000

99.094

0.3125

0.3164

 

 

ENERGY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crude Oil, Brent Index

Brent Crude

110.840

-0.1600

-0.1441

5.4488

 

Crude Oil, Louisiana Lt. Sweet

LA Lt Sweet

96.830

-0.2900

-0.2986

-11.2400

 

Natural Gas, Henry Hub Index

Nat Gas

3.818

0.0290

0.7654

-10.9608

 

PRECIOUS METALS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spot Gold $/oz

GOLD

1242.590

-8.7100

-0.6961

-28.9057

 

Spot Silver $/oz

SILVER

19.860

-0.3850

-1.9017

-41.8737

 

CURRENCIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

Euro

EUR Curncy

0.737

-0.0029

-0.3920

-4.3851

 

Japanese Yen

JPY Curncy

101.260

-0.3300

-0.3248

-18.9715

 

British Pound

GBP Curncy

0.617

-0.0022

-0.3554

-1.1380

 

Swiss Franc

CHF Curncy

0.907

-0.0052

-0.5703

2.3051

 

Canadian Dollar

CAD Curncy

1.053

-0.0010

-0.0949

-5.7490

 

Chinese Renminbi

CNY Curncy

6.093

0.0006

0.0098

2.1729

 

FOREIGN INDICIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

EURO STOXX 600 INDEX

EUROPE

309.340

-0.9700

-0.3126

23.2529

 

FTSE 100 INDEX

UK

6636.220

-58.4000

-0.8723

14.6802

 

CAC 40 INDEX

FRANCE

4277.570

-24.4000

-0.5672

22.1835

 

DAX INDEX

GERMANY

9290.070

-9.8800

-0.1062

27.4003

 

NIKKEI 225 INDEX

JAPAN

15515.240

-103.8900

-0.6651

64.6476

 

HANG SENG INDEX

HONG KONG

23681.280

-3.1700

-0.0134

8.4108

 

TEL AVIV 100 INDEX

ISRAEL

2183.073

-3.0420

-0.1392

9.6380

 

SHANGHAI COMP INDEX

CHINA

2183.073

-3.0420

-0.1392

9.6380

 

 

Last

Chg Today

% Chg Today

3 Mo Tot Ret

6 Mo Tot Ret

YTD Tot Ret

S&P 500 INDEX

1805.230

2.750

0.1526

9.7260

10.787

29.251

S&P 500 CONSUMER DISCRETION

516.710

2.763

0.5376

12.2855

15.886

39.320

S&P 500 CONSUMER STAPLES

442.090

-1.050

-0.2369

9.0966

4.578

25.690

S&P 500 ENERGY

638.200

-2.170

-0.3389

8.0454

7.808

22.448

S&P 500 FINANCIALS

289.130

-0.170

-0.0588

8.3935

10.013

32.944

S&P 500 HEALTH CARE

638.660

-2.250

-0.3511

11.5563

13.670

40.655

S&P 500 INDUSTRIALS

434.830

1.290

0.2976

12.7007

16.544

34.958

S&P 500 INFO TECHNOLOGY

554.470

2.330

0.4220

8.3482

10.944

21.699

S&P 500 MATERIALS

279.020

-0.590

-0.2110

8.3593

10.874

19.923

S&P 500 TELECOM SERVICES

156.730

-0.070

-0.0446

6.1376

-1.538

12.361

S&P 500 UTILITIES

192.800

-1.920

-0.9860

3.1865

0.289

12.568

 

----------------------

Somedays you're the pigeon, somedays you're the statue.

 

John Broussard

Assistant State Treasurer

Chief Investment Officer

State of Louisiana

Department of the Treasury

225-342-0013

jbroussard@treasury.state.la.us