2003 Charts of the Week
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- Higher Market Making for Happy Holidays
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted December 19, 2003
- The U.S. equity market is poised to finish 2003 in positive territory, marking the first annual gain in four years.
- Santa Isn’t the Only Elf Shopping This Year
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted December 12, 2003
- The holiday shopping season is in full-swing. Retail sales climbed and consumer confidence also took a large 10 point jump in November. If this is any indication of what is to come, retailers may be very pleased with their sales numbers this year.
- A Case for Diversification
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted December 5, 2003
- Over a 20 year period, the largest and smallest 100 stocks in the S&P 500 have very similar performance, even though the smallest have strongly outperformed the largest in 2003.
- Medical Care Inflation
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted November 28, 2003
- Inflation for medical care and services has been higher than overall inflation in nine out of ten years. The new prescription drug benefit, slated to take effect in 2006, will cover about 75% of drug costs up to $2,250 a year.
- Optimism Continues
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted November 21, 2003
- The latest sentiment poll indicates that more investment advisers are bullish (believing the market will rise) than bearish (believing the market will fall). Investors Intelligence believes risk is very high at this time and that this bull market is short-term in the midst of a long-term bear market.
- Trade Deficit Turning a Corner?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted November 14, 2003
- Imports of goods and services exceeded exports in September, resulting in a U.S. trade deficit of $41.3 billion. This $1.8 billion increase from August brought the rolling total for the quarter to over $120 billion. However, the third quarter trade deficit is the first 3-month period decrease in the deficit since the fourth quarter of 2001.
- Shorter Unemployment Lines?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted November 7, 2003
- The U.S. economy received another jolt of good news this week with an unexpected report of lower initial jobless claims. The U.S. Labor Department, who releases this index, is not completely optimistic about future employment indicators but this low report was also not anticipated.
- Economic Boost!
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted October 31, 2003
- The U.S. economy reportedly grew in the third quarter at its fastest pace since the first quarter of 1984. However, the labor market continues to struggle to provide a real ’spark’ to the recent economic recovery.
- Food Price Changes
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted October 24, 2003
- Agricultural prices have risen sharply since September of 2002 as a result of increased export demand for corn, grain and beef. Historically, an increase in food prices lags the agricultural price change by several months.
- Improvements All Around
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted October 17, 2003
- So far in 2003 the slowly improving economy has helped fuel a stock market recovery that has been better than expected. Also benefiting is the employment picture.
- Give and Take
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted October 10, 2003
- For much of the past two years large growth and large value stocks have traded in a tight range with neither substantially outperforming the other. This convergence of returns shows that both styles of stocks are benefiting from the present recovery.
- September Swoon
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted October 3, 2003
- Historically the months of September and October have been the most unkind months for investors in the stock market. So far this year is setting up to be better than average.
- Too Far Too Fast. . . Or Not Far Enough?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted September 26, 2003
- The Nasdaq Index is up substantially this year. However, it still remains 64% below its all-time high recorded in March of 2000.
- Economy Trends Upward
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted September 19, 2003
- The Conference Board’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators posted a fifth consecutive gain in August. Only four of the ten indicators improved from August levels; however, increases in two of the three most heavily weighted components helped propel the index higher.
- Manufactured Improvement
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted September 12, 2003
- The Institute for Supply Management manufacturing index report for August exceeded expectations. Unfortunately, in the recent past gains proved unsustainable and the index retreated to lower levels.
- Gold Rush!
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted September 5, 2003
- The recent price of gold has reached a seven year high. The limited supply and universal acceptance of gold makes it an attractive investment worldwide when economic uncertainty exists.
- Rising Pump Prices
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted August 29, 2003
- An unexpected combination of recent events has led gasoline prices markedly higher over the past few weeks. Many are left wondering why gasoline prices are so out of sync with oil prices.
- Is a Strong Dollar a Good Thing?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted August 22, 2003
- The present rally in U.S. equity markets has coincided with a general weakness in the dollar versus other foreign currencies. Now, with the dollar again strengthening, fears are rising that the improved sales, revenue, and profit figures will be unsustainable.
- Smaller Has Been Better
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted August 15, 2003
- The dramatic rise in equity stock prices since the beginning of the second quarter has not affected all stocks equally.
- 10-Year Treasury Note
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted August 8, 2003
- The 10-year Treasury Note has seen a recent dramatic increase in its yield. The Note’s yield has seen spikes similar to this one in the past and has historically corrected itself.
- Surprise Growth!
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted August 1, 2003
- GDP measures the total production and consumption of goods and services in the U.S. The preliminary figure for the quarter suggests that actual growth came in at 2.4%, instead of the estimated 1.4%.
- Another Jobless Recovery?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted July 24, 2003
- Through June 2003 (nineteen months after the end of the recession) we have not seen the job creation normally expected in an economic recovery. The unemployment rate has actually increased.
- The Duration of Post War Recessions
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted July 18, 2003
- The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) publicly announced on Thursday July 17 that the recession beginning in March 2001 officially ended only eight months later in November 2001.
- Fighting to Expand
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted July 11, 2003
- The Institute for Supply Management manufacturing index report for June was below expectations. However, the June report does give cause for optimism as it continues the recent upward trend and appears to be on the verge of signaling expansion.
- Money Market Fund Alternative
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted July 3, 2003
- By design stable value funds have not declined in yield as much as money market funds have over the past two years.
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