Reminder:
We are planning to move into our new office building before year-end. At the present, we estimate our move date to be December 27th. We will be sending you all a formal notice with the new office address and location. Our phone numbers will remain the same. More to come………………
This Week, December 3-9th:
December 3rd: Make a Gift Day
December 4-8th: Cookie Exchange Week
December 7th: Pearl Harbor Day
December 7th: Medicare Open Enrollment Period Closes
Month of December:
Write a Business Plan Month
Human Rights Month
Operation Santa Paws: 1st through the 17th
Did You Know?
The Markets:
The major U.S. stock indices moved higher in November, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding another 3.83% for the month, while the broader based Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 2.81%. For the year through November 30th, the S&P 500 is now up 18.26%. (MarketWatch)
Intermediate to longer term interest rates dipped lower last month, and the yield for the 10 year U.S. Treasury ended at 2.37% at the end of November. This compares with 2.45% to start 2017. Bond prices move inverse of interest rates-lower rates equate to higher bond prices. (U.S. Treasury) Mortgage rates at the end of last week were in the 3.83% range for a 30-year fixed mortgage, and 3.15% for the 15-year fixed mortgage. (Bankrate.com)
Gold ended November at $1,280.20 per ounce, up from $1,159.10 to start the year. The price of West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil jumped to $57.40 per barrel last month which was higher than the $53.89 at the fist of this year. (CNBC)
Our Position/Outlook:
We are very pleased with the net results in all our clients’ portfolios across all risk levels so far this year. We have maintained a somewhat cautious approach since late spring and have still been able to participate in the stock market’s upside while maintaining positions in fixed income assets along with equities. As the economy and corporate profits continue to grow, we don’t anticipate a recession anytime soon. We continue to monitor the situation and can make changes if warranted moving forward.
Around the World
“Growth in Global Economy is Robust,” said a November 29th story in the Wall Street Journal. The Journal referenced the latest economic outlook provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – an international group made up of 35 countries, including the U.S.
This year we’re seeing growth accelerate in the U.S., Europe, China and Japan, according to OECD data. While challenges remain, “Global growth is projected to improve slightly in 2018, but remain below the pace of previous recoveries,” the OECD said.
The October 2017 World Economic Outlook from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concurs, adding that emerging and developing economies should see economic growth accelerate from 4.6% this year to 4.9% in 2018. Emerging and developing economies expanded by 4.3% last year. It’s an encouraging trend.
Taking a look at 45 countries, all but one is expected to exhibit growth in 2017 and 2018. That’s impressive. This is simply implying that prospects around the world are improving. From a more practical standpoint, faster global growth is translating into faster revenue and profit growth for U.S. companies that have more worldwide exposure.
This offers us two takeaways. First, a thriving global economy creates a tailwind for corporate earnings, which supports stock prices. Second, the synchronized acceleration in activity around the world is a major factor in the upbeat performance of international stocks this year. The number of daily all-time highs recorded by the S&P 500 Index3 have now numbered 57 through 11 months. (LPL Research, St. Louis Federal Reserve. Will there still be more to come?
While we should never forget that unforeseen events have the potential to inject volatility into the market, including failure of tax reform and political uncertainty, the economic fundamentals, both at home and abroad, have lent support to the upward move in stocks. We will keep you posted.
If you have any questions or concerns, we’d be happy to discuss them with you. We’re just an email or phone call away. We appreciate the privilege to be of service.
God Bless,
Your TEAM at F.I.G. Financial Advisory Services, Inc.
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Stocks and bonds and commodities are not FDIC insured and can fall in value, and any investment information, securities and commodities mentioned in this report may not be suitable for everyone.
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Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. Different investments involve different degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any investment, security, commodity or investment strategy that is referenced will be profitable or be suitable for your portfolio.
The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. The information contained in this report does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation.
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All opinions are subject to change without notice in response to changing market and/or economic conditions.
1 The Dow Jones Industrials Average is an unmanaged index of 30 major companies which cannot be invested into directly. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
3 The S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index of 500 larger companies which cannot be invested into directly. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
5 New York Mercantile Exchange front-month contract; Prices can and do vary; past performance does not guarantee future results.
6 London Bullion Market Association; gold fixing pricing; Prices can and do vary; past performance does not guarantee future results.
Uncertainty and Volatility