05/18/2020

• All Categories

Weekly Investment Update

<!– {"name":"Case Study","type":"layout","children":[{"name":"Top Image (Featured Image)","type":"section","props":{"style":"default","width":"default","vertical_align":"middle","title_position":"top-left","title_rotation":"left","title_breakpoint":"xl","image_position":"center-center","height":"full","padding_remove_top":false,"padding_remove_bottom":false,"image_size":"cover","padding":"xlarge","image_effect":"parallax","image_parallax_bgy_end":"100","image_parallax_bgy_start":"-100","animation":"fade","animation_delay":true,"image_parallax_breakpoint":"m","image_width":"1560"},"children":[{"name":"","type":"row","props":{"layout":"1-3,2-3","divider":true,"vertical_align":true},"children":[{"name":"","type":"column","props":{"image_position":"center-center","vertical_align":"middle","media_overlay_gradient":"","width_small":"1-3"},"children":[]},{"name":"","type":"column","props":{"image_position":"center-center","text_color":"light","vertical_align":"middle","media_overlay_gradient":"","width_small":"2-3"},"children":[]}]}],"source":{"query":{"name":"posts.singlePost"},"props":{"image":{"name":"featuredImage.url","filters":{"search":""}}}}},{"name":"Blog Content","type":"section","props":{"style":"default","width":"default","vertical_align":"middle","title_position":"top-left","title_rotation":"left","title_breakpoint":"xl","image_position":"center-center","padding":"large","padding_remove_bottom":false,"animation_delay":false},"children":[{"name":"","type":"row","props":{"layout":"1-3,2-3","vertical_align":false},"children":[{"name":"","type":"column","props":{"image_position":"center-center","media_overlay_gradient":"","width_small":"1-3"},"children":[{"type":"image","props":{"margin":"default","image_svg_color":"emphasis","image":"wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/06\/Trans_Blue-Crown.png"}},{"name":"","type":"headline","props":{"title_element":"h2","title_decoration":"bullet","title_style":"h3","content":"05\/18\/2020"},"source":{"query":{"name":""},"props":{}}},{"name":"","type":"headline","props":{"title_element":"h2","title_decoration":"bullet","title_style":"h3"},"source":{"query":{"name":"posts.singlePost"},"props":{"content":{"filters":{"search":""},"name":"author.nickname"}}}},{"type":"text","props":{"margin":"default","column_breakpoint":"m"},"source":{"query":{"name":"posts.singlePost"},"props":{}}},{"type":"list","props":{"show_image":false,"show_link":true,"image_svg_color":"emphasis","image_align":"left","image_vertical_align":true,"list_size":"","list_element":"ul","column_breakpoint":"m"},"children":[{"type":"list_item","props":{"content":"

All Categories”}},{“type”:”list_item”,”source”:{“query”:{“name”:”categories.customCategories”,”arguments”:{“id”:0,”offset”:0,”limit”:10,”order”:”term_order”,”order_direction”:”ASC”}},”props”:{“content”:{“name”:”name”,”filters”:{“search”:””}},”link”:{“name”:”link”,”filters”:{“search”:””}}}}}],”name”:”Blog Category List”}]},{“name”:””,”type”:”column”,”props”:{“image_position”:”center-center”,”media_overlay_gradient”:””,”width_small”:”2-3″},”children”:[{“name”:””,”type”:”headline”,”props”:{“title_element”:”h1″,”item_maxwidth”:”large”,”content”:”Weekly Investment Update”},”source”:{“query”:{“name”:””},”props”:{}}},{“name”:””,”type”:”text”,”props”:{“margin”:”default”,”column_breakpoint”:”m”,”content”:”

US equity markets declined slightly more than 2% last week as investors monitor the gradual process for individual states to reopen their economies.\u00a0 The S&P 500 index has trended sideways for the last month, remaining rangebound between approximately 2,800 and 2,900 after advancing roughly 30% through April 17 from the recent low marked on March 23.\u00a0 Much of the week\u2019s decline occurred Wednesday afternoon when Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, held a press conference during which he indicated that the COVID-19 virus could have long-term impacts on US economic health and growth, and he called on lawmakers and US administration to provide more fiscal support.\u00a0 Thursday\u2019s weekly jobless claims were also worse than economists had expected as nearly 3 million more people filed for unemployment benefits, bringing the total during the COVID-19 crisis to more than 36 million (Chart 1).\n

The monthly change in retail sales fell drastically again in April as households pulled back in discretionary purchases like vehicles and restaurants, and instead focused on staples during the quarantine (Chart 2).\u00a0 Separately, the Federal Reserve said that factory output declined by 13.7% in April, the largest monthly decline since records began in 1919.\u00a0 Non-store retailers like Amazon benefitted from the move toward e-commerce as online sales grew 8.4% month-over-month.\u00a0 Household spending is the driving force for the US economy, accounting for roughly two-thirds of gross domestic product, so these signs of sharp pullbacks in consumer activity indicate that we are likely in the midst of a significant period of broad economic contraction.\n

Markets recovered modestly on Friday on news that the US House of Representatives was close to passing a new $3 trillion stimulus bill.\u00a0 However, Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, has already indicated that he would not take up the bill in its current form, and that he would prefer to monitor the impact of previous stimulus efforts before providing more aid.\u00a0 The House bill includes approximately:\n

\n
• $1 trillion for state and local governments\n
• $1,200 in direct payments to individuals (up to $6,000 per household)\n
• $200 billion hazard pay for essential workers\n
• $75 billion for COVID-19 testing\n
• An extension of the $600 per week federal unemployment insurance benefit through January (current set to expire in July)\n
• $175 billion rent, mortgage and utility assistance\n
• Repeal of the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions for two years\n
• Subsidies and a special enrollment period for those who need to access the Affordable Care Act\n”},”source”:{“query”:{“name”:””},”props”:{}}},{“type”:”image”,”props”:{“margin”:”default”,”image_svg_color”:”emphasis”,”image”:”wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/06\/weekly-chart-1.jpg”}},{“type”:”image”,”props”:{“margin”:”default”,”image_svg_color”:”emphasis”,”image”:”wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/06\/weekly-chart-2.jpg”}},{“type”:”image”,”props”:{“margin”:”default”,”image_svg_color”:”emphasis”,”image”:”wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/06\/weekly-key-economic.jpg”}},{“type”:”image”,”props”:{“margin”:”default”,”image_svg_color”:”emphasis”,”image”:”wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/06\/weekly-asset-class-returns.jpg”}},{“type”:”image”,”props”:{“margin”:”default”,”image_svg_color”:”emphasis”,”image”:”wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/06\/weekly-prices-interest-rates.jpg”}},{“type”:”html”,”props”:{“content”:”
  “}}]}]}]},{“name”:”Disclaimer”,”type”:”section”,”props”:{“style”:”muted”,”width”:”default”,”vertical_align”:”middle”,”title_position”:”top-left”,”title_rotation”:”left”,”title_breakpoint”:”xl”,”image_position”:”center-center”,”animation_delay”:false},”children”:[{“name”:””,”type”:”row”,”props”:{“column_gap”:”large”,”row_gap”:”large”},”children”:[{“name”:””,”type”:”column”,”props”:{“image_position”:”center-center”,”media_overlay_gradient”:””,”width_medium”:”1-1″},”children”:[{“name”:””,”type”:”text”,”props”:{“margin”:””,”column_breakpoint”:”m”,”content”:”

  Past performance may not be representative of future results. \u202fAll investments are subject to loss.\u202f Forecasts regarding the market or economy are subject to a wide range of possible outcomes. \u202fThe views presented in this market update may prove to be inaccurate for a variety of factors.\u202f These views are as of the date listed above and are subject to change based on changes in fundamental economic or market-related data. \u202fPlease contact your Financial Advisor in order to complete an updated risk assessment to ensure that your investment allocation is appropriate.\u202f\u202f\u00a0″,”text_align”:”left”,”text_size”:”small”,”text_color”:”muted”}}]}]}]}],”version”:”2.2.2″} –>