Weekly Economic Update – September 14, 2015

WEEKLY QUOTE
“You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”
– Mark Twain

WEEKLY TIP
If you are starting a business, obtain a credit card and bank account specifically for your company. This can help you avoid comingling of business and personal assets, and it can also allow you to easily identify business-related expenses that can be deducted from business income.

WEEKLY RIDDLE
I lack lungs, yet I constantly need oxygen; I have no mouth, but sufficient water will drown me. What am I?

Last week’s riddle:
What has a foot on each side and yet another foot in its middle?

Last week’s answer:
A yardstick.

NO SURPRISE: HOUSEHOLD SENTIMENT WANES

The initial September edition of the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index came in last week at 85.7 – its lowest reading in a year, significantly below its final August mark of 91.9. Given the recent stock market retreat and ongoing headlines about China’s economic slowdown, the closely watched indicator seemed primed for a descent – but a consensus MarketWatch forecast projected a 90.3 reading.^1,2

PRODUCER PRICES WERE UNCHANGED IN AUGUST

Wholesale inflation was absent last month, at least by the measure of the Labor Department’s Producer Price Index. The flat reading in the headline PPI followed a 0.2% increase in July. Producer prices were down 0.8% across the 12 months ending in August. Annualized wholesale inflation has now been negative for seven straight months, influenced by reduced energy and fuel costs.¹

COULD WTI CRUDE DIP TO $20 A BARREL?

Analysts at Goldman Sachs see that possibility. On Friday, they released a note commenting that the oil market is “even more oversupplied than we had expected” and that “the potential for oil prices to fall to [levels] near $20/bbl is becoming greater as storage continues to fill.” In Goldman’s model scenario, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude dips to $38 in October and rises to $45 by September 2016. Oil settled at $44.63 on the NYMEX Friday, falling 3.1% for the week.^3,4

STOCKS END THE WEEK HIGHER

Some bullish sentiment crept back into the market ahead of the Federal Reserve’s September policy meeting. Across four trading days, the S&P 500 gained 2.07% to a Friday close of 1,961.05. The Dow rose 0.36% to 16,433.09 while the Nasdaq moved up 1.88% to 4,822.34.⁵

THIS WEEK: Nothing major is slated for Monday. On Tuesday, reports on August retail sales and August industrial output appear. Wednesday, the August Consumer Price Index arrives along with earnings from Cracker Barrel, FedEx, and Oracle. Thursday, investors worldwide will await the Federal Reserve’s latest policy statement (a press conference follows); the day’s other news items include August housing starts and building permits, new initial claims figures and quarterly results from Adobe and Rite Aid. On Friday, the Conference Board releases its August leading economic indicators index.

Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov – 9/11/15^6,7,8,9

Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. These returns do not include dividends. 10-year TIPS real yield = projected return at maturity given expected inflation.

Best regards,
Greg R. Solis, AIF®
President

78-075 Main Street
Suite 204
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Fax: (760) 771-3181

www.soliswealth.com

E-Mail: greg.solis@lpl.com

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Disclosure

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. 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. 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. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Additional risks are associated with international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic instability and differences in accounting standards. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific point in time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. 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.

Citations.

1 – tinyurl.com/pj74sff [9/11/15]
2 – marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic [9/11/15]
3 -businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-huge-supply-and-weak-demand-could-send-oil-prices-plunging-to-20-per-barrel-2015-9 [9/11/15]
4 – marketwatch.com/story/oil-pulls-back-after-conflicting-supply-signals-2015-09-11/ [9/11/15]
5 – markets.on.nytimes.com/research/markets/usmarkets/usmarkets.asp [9/11/15]
6 – markets.wsj.com/us [9/11/15]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=9%2F11%2F14&x=0&y=0 [9/11/15]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=9%2F11%2F14&x=0&y=0 [9/11/15]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=9%2F11%2F14&x=0&y=0 [9/11/15]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=9%2F10%2F10&x=0&y=0 [9/11/15]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=9%2F10%2F10&x=0&y=0 [9/11/15]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=9%2F10%2F10&x=0&y=0 [9/11/15]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=9%2F9%2F05&x=0&y=0 [9/11/15]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=9%2F9%2F05&x=0&y=0 [9/11/15]
7 – bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=9%2F9%2F05&x=0&y=0 [9/11/15]
8 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [9/11/15]
9 – treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [9/11/15]