STOCK INDEX PERFORMANCE
Index Week YTD 12-mo. 2007 5-yr.
DOW JONES 30 (11422) -0.27% -12.48% -15.40% 8.88% 5.79%
S&P 500 (1252) 0.30% -13.18% -16.16% 5.49% 5.87%
NASDAQ 100 (1767) -1.25% -16.01% -14.09% 19.24% 5.05%
S&P 500/Citigroup Growth -0.79% -12.81% -13.54% 9.25% 4.25%
S&P 500/Citigroup Value 1.54% -13.53% -18.70% 2.03% 7.53%
S&P MidCap 400/Citigroup Growth 0.88% -6.67% -7.32% 13.55% 8.83%
S&P MidCap 400/Citigroup Value 3.19% -3.79% -8.51% 2.84% 11.05%
S&P SmallCap600/Citigroup Growth 3.62% -0.53% -7.19% 5.66% 10.65%
S&P SmallCap600/Citigroup Value 4.83% 3.08% -6.44% -5.19% 11.13%
MSCI EAFE -0.11% -22.19% -21.25% 11.76% 11.58%
MSCI World (ex US) 0.14% -21.16% -20.07% 13.04% 12.22%
MSCI World 0.28% -17.26% -17.90% 9.69% 8.95%
MSCI Emerging Markets -1.12% -30.86% -24.44% 39.23% 19.70%
Returns are total returns. The 5-yr. return is an average annual.
One-week, YTD, 12-mo. and 5-yr. performance returns calculated through 09/19/08.
S&P SECTOR PERFORMANCE
Index Week YTD 12-mo. 2007 5-yr.
Consumer Discretionary -1.38% -6.16% -17.80% -13.21% 2.31%
Consumer Staples -2.75% -0.58% 4.42% 14.36% 9.12%
Energy 3.60% -9.98% -6.17% 34.41% 24.20%
Financials 7.43% -20.60% -33.36% -18.52% -0.23%
Health Care -2.52% -9.73% -9.75% 7.32% 3.47%
Industrials -1.21% -14.36% -17.69% 12.04% 7.50%
Information Technology -1.36% -18.69% -16.74% 16.30% 2.27%
Materials 1.31% -7.78% -6.42% 22.53% 13.39%
Telecom Services -3.00% -23.90% -26.70% 11.88% 6.97%
Utilities -3.56% -16.14% -11.69% 19.38% 13.64%
Returns are total returns. The 5-yr. return is an average annual.
One-week, YTD, 12-mo. and 5-yr. performance returns calculated through 09/19/08.
BOND INDEX PERFORMANCE
Index Week YTD 12-mo. 2007 5-yr.
U.S. Treasury: Intermediate 0.03% 4.44% 8.18% 8.83% 4.17%
GNMA 30 Year -0.12% 4.35% 7.14% 6.97% 5.02%
U.S. Aggregate -1.13% 1.75% 4.71% 6.97% 4.23%
U.S. Corporate High Yield -2.26% -4.52% -5.12% 1.88% 5.68%
U.S. Corporate Investment Grade -4.78% -6.05% -3.83% 4.56% 2.29%
Municipal Bond: Long Bond (22+) -5.08% -5.82% -5.20% 0.46% 3.60%
Global Aggregate -0.23% 0.66% 5.00% 9.48% 5.42%
Returns include reinvested interest. The 5-yr.return is an average annual.
One-week, YTD, 12-mo. and 5-yr. performance returns calculated through 09/19/08.
KEY RATES
As of 09/19
Fed Funds 2.00% 5-YR CD 4.16%
LIBOR (1-month) 2.75% 2-YR Note 2.17%
CPI - Headline 5.40% 5-YR Note 3.03%
CPI - Core 2.50% 10-YR T-Bond 3.81%
Money Market Accts. 2.41% 30-YR T-Bond 4.38%
Money Market Funds 1.88% 30-YR Mortgage 5.32%
6-mo. CD 3.19% Prime Rate 5.00%
1-YR CD 3.69% Bond Buyer 40 5.62%
WEEKLY FUND FLOWS
Week of 09/17 Previous
Equity Funds $4.4 B $410 M
Including ETF activity, Domestic funds reporting net inflows of
$6.824 B and Non-domestic funds reporting net outflows of -$2.453 B.
Bond Funds -$4.3 B $10.4 B
Municipal Bond Funds $89 M $3.163 B
Money Markets -$144.541 B $44.443 B
-58.417 B is withdrawn from the Reserve Primary MM share classes.
FACTOIDS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 15TH - SEPTEMBER 19TH
Monday, September 15, 2008
This year is turning out to be another example of why investors should not
chase returns. In 2007, 47 constituents in the S&P 500 rose by 50% or more
even though the index posted a total return of just 5.5%, according to USA
TODAY. Not only are 40 of the 47 stocks in the red so far in 2008, but 23 are
lagging the S&P 500, which is down 13.4% through September 12. Even this
year’s first half winners are selling off. The top performing large-cap
companies in the first six months are off an average of 25.7% so far in the
second half, according to Justin Walters at Bespoke Investment Group.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Ibbotson Associates, a subsidiary of Morningstar, recommends that investors
with more than 15 years until retirement commit 35% of their equity
allocation to overseas markets, according to Kiplinger.com. U.S. equities
account for roughly 40% of the world’s total stock market capitalization.
Ibbotson believes that emerging markets offer the greatest long-term growth
potential and suggest a 10% weighting in one’s equity portfolio. While
emerging markets are off 32.5% (MSCI Emerging Markets Index in USD) so
far in 2008, they did outperform U.S. stocks in each of the past seven
calendar years. In this decade (as of 8/29/08), emerging markets equities
have posted a cumulative total return of 95.4% (USD), vs. 1.1% for the S&P
500, according to data from Bloomberg.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The backlash from the run-up in corn prices as well as other commodities
used to make biofuels may prove to be a boon for the biomass industry
moving forward, according to Kiplinger.com. While ethanol is primarily
centered in the Midwest, the biomass industry can flourish in many parts of
the country. Biomass can be made from the following resources: waste
products found in fields, forests and city dumps, switchgrass and fastgrowing
hybrid poplar trees. In addition, the U.S. has an energy law calling
for 100 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels by 2010, 500 million gallons by
2012 and at least 16 billion gallons in 2022.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that out of the top 15 fastest growing
job opportunities for 2006-2016, 10 do not require a college degree,
according to Foxbusiness.com. The catch is that workers (age 25 to 64) with
a four-year bachelor’s degree earn nearly double that of individuals with a
high school diploma. The greatest number of jobs will be in the following
industries: network systems and data communication analyst; personal and
home care aide; home health nursing and psychiatric aide; veterinary
assistant; makeup artist; medical assistant; substance abuse and disorder
counselor; social and human service assistant; gaming surveillance officer
and gaming investigator; and physical therapist assistant.
Friday, September 19, 2008
The S&P 500 declined by more than 4% in two out of the first three trading
sessions this week. The last time this occurred was during the crash back in
October 1987, according to Bespoke Investment Group. Prior to 1987, it had
not happened since 1948. Such moves were more common during the Great
Depression. Since 1929, the average return posted by the S&P 500 on the day
after the last -4% day was 0.85%. Over the next week and month the average
returns were 4.94% and 6.43%, respectively.
The above was gathered by and posted from
FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P. • APPROVED FOR PUBLIC USE • 09/22/08
Web link to this and all previous weekly information is
here
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