Highlights of this Update:
- Get started using our MyWealth planning system today!
- Ticket prices to entertain a family of four today.
- Stock indices end last week lower, still flat for 2016.
- Oil rises to over $46.00 per barrel as of last Friday. Continues to rise today.
- Interest rates trend lower, fixed 30 year mortgage rate at 3.58%.
- Next “bear” market will likely be triggered by recession, which is not likely yet.
READ ON FOR FURTHER DETAILS……………………………………
2016 is Almost Half Over: The Time to Update Your Long Term Plan is Now!
With 2016 quickly approaching the half-way mark, now is the time to start or update your personal financial plan. Our MyWealth financial management/planning system is the perfect tool for you in managing your personal finances and also allows us to work together in preparing, monitoring, and updating your long term planning. Call us today for your personal review if you have not yet started using this valuable system. Our goal is for all of you to start utilizing MyWealth by the end of this year!
The Price of Entertainment:
The following is a comparison for tickets to various forms of entertainment outside the home today for a family of four:
The Markets:
Last week saw the major U.S. stock indices end on a negative note, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average off 1.16% and the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index dropping .51%. For the year as of Friday’s close, the Dow is now up .63% while the S&P 500 is basically flat, up just .13%. Day-to-day moves seemed to fluctuate in opposite directions and volatility continued. (MarketWatch)
Oil prices gained, with the price of West Texas Intermediate Crude climbing to $46.37 per barrel, up 1.81% for the week. (CNBC) Interest rates dipped and the yield for the 10 year U.S. Treasury dropped to 1.71%, while the 30 year fixed mortgage rate ended at 3.58% on Friday. (U.S. Treasury, Bankrate.com)
Our Outlook:
We remain cautiously positive for equities/stocks in the coming weeks ahead. Interest rates have continued to gradually slide lower, which we had hoped would happen as we move forward into the month of June. We would view recent dips as possible buying opportunities for certain value oriented stocks. Warren Buffet may agree as well, as he just purchased shares of Apple and added to his position in IBM at recent price levels. (MarketWatch) We continue to monitor our various indicators and will keep you updated as changes occur.
Bear Market or Bull Ahead?
Since the end of WWII, the S&P 500 Index has experienced eleven bull markets (S&P Capital IQ), including the current one. The shortest bull market lasted 26 months and ran from 1966 – 1968. The longest extended 115 months, running from 1990 – 2000.
Bull markets don’t die of old age-they have historically been killed off by recessions. Since the mid-1960s, all bear markets,(20%+ decline) with the exception of the one-day crash in October, 1987, (-22%) coincided with a recession (St. Louis Federal Reserve). Economists can’t claim bragging rights when it comes to collectively predicting a recession, as the forecasting models are far from perfect. While corporate profit growth and economic growth have been subdued and we may see more volatility in stocks, most leading indicators are not suggesting a recession is imminent.
Please don’t hesitate to call at any time if you have any questions, or if we can be of further service in any way. As we get ready to move into the summer months and finish the first half of 2016, it’s a great time to reassess your personal financial planning and long term goals. Call us today for your personal review and also to start utilizing our MyWealth system if you have not already done so.
God Bless,
Your TEAM at F.I.G. Financial Advisory Services, Inc.
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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.