Broker Check

S&P 500 Gain: Biggest In Nearly 2 Years. Erases December Losses.

December 22, 2014

Markets ended a rollercoaster week on an upbeat note, giving the S&P 500 its biggest weekly gain in nearly two years and erasing December losses.[1] Markets were pulled in different directions by several factors, including central bank actions, a deep slide in the Russian ruble, and further gyrations in oil markets. For the week, the S&P 500 gained 3.41%, the Dow grew 3.03%, and the Nasdaq added 2.40%.[2]

Falling oil prices stoked additional volatility last week as investors grappled with the potential effects of cheap oil. Oil fell for the fourth straight week, ending with U.S. benchmark WTI at under $60/barrel.[3] Gasoline prices followed the decline, putting the national average at $2.409 on Sunday.[4] Domestically, low gas prices are a net win for U.S. consumers who suddenly have more discretionary income to spend.

However, Russia, one of the world's major oil producers, felt the sting of falling oil prices. The Russian economy, which has been battered by economic sanctions over Ukraine, is in real trouble. Nervous currency traders caused a run on the Russian ruble, which fell an alarming 19% within one 24-hour period last week.[5] Russia's sinking economy is potentially a threat to its major trading partners, who depend on Russian demand for their goods. One report indicates that one in eight German companies are considering a withdrawal from Russia because of the risk represented by its unstable economy.[6] A deteriorating economic situation could also escalate geopolitical tensions over the Ukraine.

Investors cheered at the news that the Federal Reserve is likely to hold interest rates low for at least the first few months of 2015.[7] Though the Fed feels confident enough about economic growth to raise rates next year, policymakers intend to remain "patient" by taking a slow approach to rate hikes.[8] To translate: The Fed thinks that the economy is on track but doesn't want to spook investors by hiking up rates too soon.

Looking ahead, it's hard to know which way markets will go in the final weeks of the year. Historically, December has been a good month for equities, and stocks could be poised to go higher.[9] In the plus column, the Fed promises continued low rates, plunging gas prices are putting more dollars in consumers' wallets, and spirits about the future are high. In the minus column, investors could be jittery about the knock-on effects of falling oil and may be feeling uncertain about 2015.

As 2014 draws to a close, we want to thank you for the privilege of serving you this year. We are honored by the trust you place in our firm and sincerely appreciate the opportunity to work with you. We are excited about what 2015 will bring and look forward to continuing to support you and your family for many more years to come.

ECONOMIC CALENDAR:

Monday: Existing Home Sales
Tuesday: Durable Goods Orders, GDP, Personal Income and Outlays, FHFA House Price Index, Consumer Sentiment, New Home Sales
Wednesday: Jobless Claims, EIA Petroleum Status Report
Thursday: U.S. Markets Closed for Christmas Holiday

Notes: All index returns exclude reinvested dividends, and the 5-year and 10-year returns are annualized. Sources: Yahoo! Finance and Treasury.gov. International performance is represented by the MSCI EAFE Index. Corporate bond performance is represented by the DJCBP. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.

HEADLINES:

Weekly jobless claims fall. Claims for new unemployment benefits and the four-week moving average both fell last week, indicating that the labor market is doing well in the fourth quarter.[10]

Service sector growth slows in December. Activity in the service sector - which contains industries like financial services, retail, and food service - grew at the slowest rate since February. Slow growth could take a bite out of fourth-quarter economic growth.[11]

Inflation falls most in six years in October. Domestic prices for goods and services fell by the most in six years as gasoline prices plummeted. However, stripping out volatile food and fuel prices, core consumer prices edged slightly up.[12]

Mortgage rates fall, but buyers don't bite. Mortgage rates dropped to their lowest level since May 2013, but homebuyers don't seem to be interested. The takeaway? Though interest rates may rise next year, lower mortgage rates can still be found.[13]


These are the views of Platinum Advisor Marketing Strategies, LLC, and not necessarily those of the named representative, Broker dealer or Investment Advisor, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named representative nor the named Broker dealer or Investment Advisor gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your financial advisor for further information.


Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.

Diversification does not guarantee profit nor is it guaranteed to protect assets.

The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. The DJIA was invented by Charles Dow back in 1896.

The Nasdaq Composite is an index of the common stocks and similar securities listed on the NASDAQ stock market and is considered a broad indicator of the performance of stocks of technology companies and growth companies.

The MSCI EAFE Index was created by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) that serves as a benchmark of the performance in major international equity markets as represented by 21 major MSCI indexes from Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia.

The Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index is a 96-bond index designed to represent the market performance, on a total-return basis, of investment-grade bonds issued by leading U.S. companies. Bonds are equally weighted by maturity cell, industry sector, and the overall index.

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices are the leading measures of U.S. residential real estate prices, tracking changes in the value of residential real estate. The index is made up of measures of real estate prices in 20 cities and weighted to produce the index.

The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.

Google Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.

Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

You cannot invest directly in an index.

Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.

Fixed income investments are subject to various risks including changes in interest rates, credit quality, inflation risk, market valuations, prepayments, corporate events, tax ramifications and other factors.

By clicking on these links, you will leave our server, as they are located on another server. We have not independently verified the information available through this link. The link is provided to you as a matter of interest. Please click on the links below to leave and proceed to the selected site.

  1. http://www.cnbc.com/id/102284110
  2. http://goo.gl/vMuISr
  3. http://www.cnbc.com/id/102282630
  4. http://fuelgaugereport.aaa.com/todays-gas-prices/ (As of 12/21/2014)
  5. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-16/no-caviar-is-not-getting-cheaper-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-russian-ruble-collapse
  6. http://rt.com/news/216447-ruble-threat-german-economy/
  7. http://www.cnbc.com/id/102284110
  8. http://www.newsweek.com/us-growth-gives-federal-reserve-confidence-293049
  9. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2014/11/30/dec-market-report-santa-claus-rally/70098600/
  10. http://www.cnbc.com/id/102279896
  11. http://www.cnbc.com/id/102279924
  12. http://www.cnbc.com/id/102275854
  13. http://www.cnbc.com/id/102274680