Kevin M. Nast Presents: WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE

– Johann Wolfgang

von Goethe

WEEKLY TIP

If you’re thinking about selling a business, consider contacting a business broker, one that represents companies similar to yours. It may make finding an appropriate buyer easier.

WEEKLY RIDDLE

What is worn by the foot and often bought by the yard?

Last week’s riddle:

They can run side by side for thousands of miles; they are made of steel. While they constantly touch the ground, they seldom meet or touch each other. What are they?

Last week’s answer:

Railroad tracks.

 January 9, 2012

UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN TO 8.5%
In December, the jobless rate declined for the fourth straight month to its lowest level since February 2009. The Labor Department announced that the economy added 200,000 net new jobs last month, topping the consensus forecast of analysts polled by Reuters who expected a gain of 155,000. Separately, payroll processing firm ADP reported private sector firms hiring 325,000 workers in December. Whether December’s boost reflects a seasonal hiring boom or not, Labor Department data indicates that private sector payrolls expanded by an average of 132,000 jobs per month during the second half of 2011.^1,2                                                                                                 

MANUFACTURING, SERVICE SECTOR GAUGES RISE

According to the twin barometers of the Institute for Supply Management, the U.S. manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors continued to expand last month. ISM’s service sector PMI came in at 52.6, up 0.6% from the November reading; its manufacturing PMI rose to 53.9 from November’s 52.7 mark.³

BIG GAINS OUT OF THE GATE FOR GOLD & CRUDE
The first trading week of 2012 saw crude oil futures rise 2.73% to top $100 a barrel again; futures settled at $101.56 Friday on the NYMEX. Gold went back above the $1,600 level with a $50.30 weekly advance. Gold futures were up 3.21% for the week; Friday’s closing price on the COMEX was $1,616.10.^4,5

STOCKS START 2012 WITH GAINS

Across January 3-6, the Dow rose 1.17% to 12,359.92, the NASDAQ climbed 2.65% to 2,674.22 and the S&P 500 advanced 1.61% to 1,277.81. Optimism prevailed despite more woes from the Eurozone: Fitch Ratings lowered Hungary’s credit rating to “junk” status on Friday and the euro fell to a 16-month low versus the dollar.²

THIS WEEK: Monday, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy meet to discuss the EU’s new fiscal pact; Alcoa kicks off the Q4 earnings season. Tuesday, we get a report on November’s wholesale trade. Wednesday brings a new Beige Book from the Federal Reserve and Q4 results from Lennar. Thursday, the Census Bureau releases December retail sales figures, the latest initial jobless claims data arrives and the European Central Bank and Bank of England issue monetary policy statements. On Friday, the University of Michigan’s preliminary January consumer sentiment survey will be out, plus Q4 earnings from JPMorgan.

Sources: online.wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov, treasurydirect.gov – 1/6/12^2,7,8,9

Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly.

These returns do not include dividends.

Please feel free to forward this article to family, friends or colleagues.  If you would like us to add them to our distribution list, please reply with their address. We will contact them first and request their permission to add them to our list.

This material was prepared by MarketingLibrary.Net Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. Marketing Library.Net Inc. is not affiliated with any broker or brokerage firm that may be providing this information to you. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The NASDAQ Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over-the-counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. NYSE Group, Inc. (NYSE:NYX) operates two securities exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and NYSE Arca (formerly known as the Archipelago Exchange, or ArcaEx®, and the Pacific Exchange). NYSE Group is a leading provider of securities listing, trading and market data products and services. The New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. (NYMEX) is the world’s largest physical commodity futures exchange and the preeminent trading forum for energy and precious metals, with trading conducted through two divisions – the NYMEX Division, home to the energy, platinum, and palladium markets, and the COMEX Division, on which all other metals trade. Additional risks are associated with international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic instability and differences in accounting standards. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. All economic and performance data is historical and not indicative of future results. Market indices discussed are unmanaged. Investors cannot invest in unmanaged indices. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional.

LD42557-01/12 

Citations.

1 – abcnews.go.com [1/6/12]              

2 – www.cnbc.com [1/6/12]

3 – www.ism.ws [1/6/12]

4 – blogs.wsj.com [1/6/12]

5 – montoyaregistry.com [1/6/12]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com [1/6/12]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com [1/6/12]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com [1/6/12]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com [1/6/12]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com [1/6/12]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com [1/6/12]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com [1/6/12]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com [1/6/12]

6 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com [1/6/12]

7 – treasury.gov [1/6/12]

7 – treasury.gov [1/6/12]

8 – treasurydirect.gov [1/9/02]