Your Weekly Update for Monday, May 13, 2024.
Beacon Rock Wealth Advisors is a dba of BR Capital, Inc. is a financial planning and registered investment advisory firm in Camas, Washington. We are always available to answer your finance questions. Give us a call at (800) 562-7096 or send an email to [email protected].
If you or someone you know is worried about retirement, send us an email or give us a call for a no-obligation Retirement and Social Security Analysis.
If this information is helpful to you, please forward this to a friend and ask them to subscribe at https://newsletters.beaconrwa.com/subscribe.
Have a great week!
Mike Elerath
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM
CERTIFIED IN LONG-TERM CARE
[email protected]
Bill Roller
NMLS #107972
CHARTERED FINANCIAL ANALYST
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM
CHARTERED MARKET TECHNICIAN
[email protected]
For more information about Beacon Rock Wealth Advisors, check out our brochure here:Ā https://beaconrwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BeaconRockBrochure.pdf
Click on the image below to go to https://youtu.be/eGFNcwG3Qvw Ā to see the video in which Mike Elerath, Bill Roller, and Keller Williams Realtor Michael Harding discuss the financial markets and Clark County real estate.
Please give the video a āLikeā and check out other videos and subscribe to the channel at https://www.youtube.com/@beaconrwa.
Summary
Markets were UP last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was UP 2.06% to 39,510.05 while the S&P500 ended UP 1.84% to 5,222.04. The Nasdaq Composite ROSE 1.12% to 16,337.81. The annual yield on the 30-year Treasury FELL 1.5 basis point(s) to 4.646.
In a light week for economic data, jobless claims ticked higher, while consumer sentiment dropped sharply.
Equities saw gains in the U.S. and Europe, with marginal economic data keeping hopes alive for lower rates. Bonds were little changed in the U.S. on net, while foreign bonds were held back by a strong dollar. Commodity gains were led by precious metals and agriculture, while crude oil was little changed.
Economic Notes
(-) The preliminary May Univ. of Michigan survey of consumer sentimentĀ fell by a dramatic -9.8 points to 67.4, well below the expected slight decline to 76.2. Consumer assessments of current conditions as well as future expectations both fell to similar negative degrees. Inflation expectations for the coming year rose 0.3% to 3.5%, versus expectations for no change; those for the coming 5-10 years ticked up a tenth to 3.1%. After improving sharply in Dec. and Jan., sentiment has fallen back again to a six-month trough. It appeared that stickier inflation and especially higher gasoline prices as of late have kept consumer moods sour. This was reaffirmed by the survey sponsorās commentary noting āworriesā over inflation, unemployment, and interest rates in the year ahead, across all demographic groups and particularly in western states. There could well be some political undertones here as well, due to surveys being taken in the midst of primary election season and general election rhetoric and polarization ramping up. Of course, one might argue the public is far sourer on the economy and labor markets than they should be at this point, even if conditions are slowing from more robust levels.
(-) Initial jobless claimsĀ for the May 4 ending week rose by 22k to 231k, well above the 212k median forecast. Continuing claims for the Apr. 27 week rose by 17k to 1.785 mil., matching consensus expectations. It appeared that over half of the rise in initial claims was in NY, leading to questions about seasonal adjustments and some possible academic year effects.
(0/-) The Federal Reserveās Senior Loan Officer Opinion SurveyĀ for Q1 showed tendencies similar to that of those of the prior quarter, with overall credit standards generally tighter and loan demand weaker. Generally, bank lending standards are related to bank risk-taking propensity, while business/consumer demand has been largely a function of interest rates, as the āpriceā of borrowing ultimately. Banks noted a worsening outlook broadly for the economy as the primary reason for tightening standards, with 85% of banks indicating āless favorableā or āuncertain,ā which was a bit higher than in Q4. General risk-reduction was noted by two-thirds of banks, which was unchanged from Q4. On the positive side, liquidity or capital requirements were noted by a smaller percentage of banks as a reason than in Q4.
By segment, in commercial & industrial loans, standards tightened in a similar fashion to Q4, while demand weakened at a similar rate; overall, there was little change in either direction. As would be expected, smaller firms continue to pay a higher spread, but the pace of spread widening for both large and small companies flattened. Commercial real estate loan standards tightened but to a lesser degree than Q4, while demand for loans in multi-family, construction, and development all strengthened. Residential real estate loan standards tightened, but less so than in Q4, while demand weakened. Credit card loan standards tightened to a lesser degree, but demand weakened. Auto loan standards tightened, while demand weakened by a bit more than in the prior quarter. It wasnāt indicated by this report, but there have been some signs of pressure for lower-income credit card debtors and some segments of the sub-prime auto loan space.
Market Notes
| Period ending 5/10/2024 | 1 Week % | YTD % |
| DJIA | 2.20 | 5.48 |
| S&P 500 | 1.89 | 10.03 |
| NASDAQ | 1.17 | 9.12 |
| Russell 2000 | 1.21 | 2.07 |
| MSCI-EAFE | 1.77 | 6.29 |
| MSCI-EM | 0.98 | 5.46 |
| Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate | 0.09 | -1.97 |
| U.S. Treasury Yields | 3 Mo. | 2 Yr. | 5 Yr. | 10 Yr. | 30 Yr. |
| 12/31/2023 | 5.40 | 4.23 | 3.84 | 3.88 | 4.03 |
| 5/3/2024 | 5.45 | 4.81 | 4.48 | 4.50 | 4.66 |
| 5/10/2024 | 5.47 | 4.87 | 4.52 | 4.50 | 4.64 |
U.S. stocks saw a positive week, the third in a row, with price levels inching back toward all-time highs. This was in keeping with low volume, with little new economic data during the week. By sector, utility stocks led the way again, up over 4% on the week, followed by solid gains of over-2% in financials, materials, industrials, and consumer staples. Consumer discretionary lagged with minimal gains for the week, largely due to a sizable drop in Tesla shares. The somewhat surprising strength of lower-beta utility stocks has been seemingly led by strong earnings showings in Q1, hopes for lower rates later this year, and perhaps most importantly from sentiment, with an expected ramp-up in electricity needs from artificial intelligence in coming years.
Foreign stocks were mixed, with Europe earning the worldās strongest results for the week, followed by the U.K., while Japanese stocks lost ground for the week. European shares were boosted by stronger earnings results, along with continued high expectations for central bank rate cuts being not too far away. The Bank of England kept their policy interest rate steady, but with two votes for cuts this month, which provided some hints as to the closer timeline of upcoming cuts. The Swedish central bank did cut rates by a quarter-percent to 3.75%, easing for the first time since the hiking cycle started, but noted uncertainty as to the future path of inflation. With economic growth and labor markets more fragile in Europe, the decision to begin cutting has appeared an easier one than in the U.S.āa high likelihood remains for the ECB to begin in June. Japanese stocks were plagued by further yen depreciation, despite some recent central bank moves to shore up the currency. Emerging market stocks were flat as a whole during an oddly bifurcated week, with gains in China, Taiwan, and Mexico offset by declines in Brazil and India. Chinese stocks were helped by stronger holiday spending, as well as better trade data. The Brazilian central bank cut interest rates by a quarter-percent, to 10.50%, along with some hawkish rhetoric that wasnāt as well-taken by markets.
Bonds were minimally-changed during the week, along with little change in the Treasury yield curve. Senior floating rate bank loans outperformed with small gains, while high yield underperformed with a small loss. Foreign bonds were down generally, as the U.S. dollar strengthened a fraction of a percent last week.
Commodities were led by a sharp rise in gold, followed by higher agricultural prices. Crude oil gained for most of the week, before slipping back to just above where it started at $78/barrel. Gold prices have baffled some strategists, noting that stable to higher real yields have tended to pressure prices; however, the story continues of central bank buying demand, both as a hedge against potentially weaker economic growth but also some concern over potential impact of sanctions, which affect traditional safe havens, such as U.S. dollar reserves.
Mortgage Rates
āAfter a five week climb, mortgage rates ticked down following a weaker than expected jobs report,ā said Sam Khater, Freddie Macās Chief Economist. āAn environment where rates continue to hover above seven percent impacts both sellers and buyers. Many potential sellers remain hesitant to list their home and part with lower mortgage rates from years prior, adversely impacting supply and keeping house prices elevated. These elevated house prices add to the overall affordability challenges that potential buyers face in this high-rate environment.ā
TheĀ 30-year FRMĀ averaged 7.09 percent as of May 9, 2024, down from last week when it averaged 7.22 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.35 percent.
TheĀ 15-year FRMĀ averaged 6.38 percent, down from last week when it averaged 6.47 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.75 percent.
Freddie Macās Primary Mortgage Market SurveyĀ® is focused on conventional, conforming, fully amortizing home purchase loans for borrowers who put 20% down and have excellent credit. Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.
Through our relationship with Mortgage Window, Inc. Ā (NMLS#2485156) in Vancouver, Washington we originate residential and reverse mortgages.
Selected Cryptocurrencies
| Symbol | Name | Price | 24h % | 7d % | Market Cap | Volume(24h) |
| BTC | Bitcoin | $62,887.44 | 2.92% | -1.09% | $1,238,915,635,646 | $24,143,974,882 |
| ETH | Ethereum | $2,976.12 | 1.65% | -4.22% | $357,481,177,202 | $11,048,062,497 |
| BNB | BNB | $594.40 | 0.30% | 1.02% | $87,744,421,726 | $1,646,953,887 |
| SOL | Solana | $145.99 | 0.75% | -3.75% | $65,484,793,763 | $1,952,410,051 |
| XRP | XRP | $0.51 | 0.41% | -4.43% | $28,020,654,702 | $906,011,687 |
| TON | Toncoin | $7.23 | 3.15% | 21.73% | $25,125,684,042 | $751,954,663 |
| DOGE | Dogecoin | $0.15 | 2.04% | -8.34% | $20,965,845,763 | $967,438,110 |
| ADA | Cardano | $0.45 | 1.11% | -2.95% | $15,888,537,428 | $316,948,552 |
| SHIB | Shiba Inu | $0.00 | 5.55% | -2.16% | $14,003,531,628 | $531,013,435 |
| AVAX | Avalanche | $33.28 | -1.20% | -12.01% | $12,699,232,997 | $289,440,605 |
| TRX | TRON | $0.13 | -0.39% | 5.98% | $11,028,231,418 | $239,022,990 |
| DOT | Polkadot | $6.72 | 0.08% | -6.61% | $9,668,277,829 | $152,853,082 |
| BCH | Bitcoin Cash | $442.85 | 2.14% | -5.42% | $8,726,383,512 | $248,316,657 |
| LINK | Chainlink | $13.47 | 0.12% | -9.68% | $7,909,109,156 | $230,619,589 |
| NEAR | NEAR Protocol | $7.18 | 3.32% | -2.96% | $7,692,382,550 | $368,854,994 |
| MATIC | Polygon | $0.67 | -0.99% | -8.84% | $6,658,418,151 | $211,933,313 |
| LTC | Litecoin | $81.85 | 0.54% | 0.67% | $6,099,724,199 | $301,102,128 |
| LEO | UNUS SED LEO | $5.99 | 1.45% | 2.98% | $5,547,460,459 | $2,973,931 |
Information current as of 6:10 AM PDT, Monday, May 13, 2024. Source: https://coinmarketcap.com
Check us out at https://beaconrwa.com and our affiliated websites atĀ https://reverse-mortgages.us and https://socialsecurityquestionsanswered4u.com.
Sources: Ryan Long, CFA, FocusPoint Solutions, American Association for Individual Investors (AAII), Associated Press, Barclays Capital, Bloomberg, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, FactSet, Financial Times, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Asset Management,
MarketfieldAsset Management, Morgan Stanley, MSCI, Morningstar, Northern Trust, Oppenheimer Funds, PIMCO, Standard & Poorās, StockCharts.com, The Conference Board, Thomson Reuters, T. Rowe Price, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Federal Reserve, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post. Index performance is shown as total return, which includes dividends, with the exception of MSCI-EM, which is quoted as price return/excluding dividends. Performance for the MSCI-EAFE and MSCI-EM indexes is quoted in U.S. Dollar investor terms.
The information above has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but no representation is made as to its completeness, accuracy or timeliness. All information and opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. Information provided in this report is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, investment, legal or tax advice; and does not constitute an offer, or a solicitation of any offer, to buy or sell any security, investment or other product. FocusPoint Solutions, Inc. is a registered investment advisor.
Notes key: (+) positive/encouraging development, (0) neutral/inconclusive/no net effect, (-) negative/discouraging development.