38 F
Clarksville
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeBusinessThe Weekly Market Snapshot from Frazier Allen

The Weekly Market Snapshot from Frazier Allen

Weekly Market Snapshot

Market Commentary by Scott J. Brown, Ph.D., Chief Economist

Next week, we’ll get some important housing figures. March is a critical month for home sales and homebuilding activity, as the spring season gets underway. The Index of Leading Economic Indicators is expected to be up slightly in March, as components were mixed (consumer expectations sank sharply). Friday, April 22nd is a holiday.

Indices

  Last Last Week YTD return %
DJIA 12285.15 12409.49 6.11%
NASDAQ 2760.22 2796.14 4.05%
S&P 500 1314.52 1333.51 4.52%
MSCI EAFE 1724.81 1717.73 4.01%
Russell 2000 827.47 849.44 5.59%

Consumer Money Rates

  Last 1-year ago
Prime Rate 3.25 3.25
Fed Funds 0.13 0.23
30-year mortgage 4.85 5.12

Currencies

  Last 1-year ago
Dollars per British Pound 1.635 1.548
Dollars per Euro 1.449 1.366
Japanese Yen per Dollar 83.470 93.090
Canadian Dollars per Dollar 0.960 0.997
Mexican Peso per Dollar 11.725 12.221

Commodities

  Last 1-year ago
Crude Oil 108.11 85.84
Gold 1471.98 1159.35

Bond Rates

  Last 1-month ago
2-year treasury 0.71 0.59
10-year treasury 3.42 3.29
10-year municipal (TEY) 5.31 4.82

Treasury Yield Curve – 4/15th/2011 

Treasury Yield Curve – 4/15th/2011

S&P Sector Performance (YTD) – 4/15th/2011 

S&P Sector Performance (YTD) – 4/15th/2011

Economic Calendar

April 18th  —  Homebuilder Sentiment (April)
April 19th  —  Building Permits, Housing Starts (March)
April 20th  —  Existing Home Sales (March)
April 21st  —  Jobless Claims (week ending April 16th)
Philadelphia Fed Index (April)
Leading Economic Indicators (March)
April 22nd  —  Good Friday Holiday (markets closed)
April 25th  —  New Home Sales (March)
April 26th  —  Consumer Confidence (April)
FOMC Meeting Begins
April 27th  —  Durable Goods Orders (March)
FOMC Meeting
Bernanke Press Conference
April 28th  —  Real GDP (1Q11, advance estimate)
April 29th  —  Personal Income and Spending (March)
Consumer Sentiment (April)
May 6th  —  Employment Report (April)

Important Disclosures

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. There are special risks involved with global investing related to market and currency fluctuations, economic and political instability, and different financial accounting standards. The above material has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete. There is no assurance that any trends mentioned will continue in the future. While interest on municipal bonds is generally exempt from federal income tax, it may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax, state or local taxes. In addition, certain municipal bonds (such as Build America Bonds) are issued without a federal tax exemption, which subjects the related interest income to federal income tax. Investing involves risk and investors may incur a profit or a loss.

US government bonds and treasury bills are guaranteed by the US government and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and guaranteed principal value. US government bonds are issued and guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by the federal government. Treasury bills are certificates reflecting short-term (less than one year) obligations of the US government.

Commodities trading is generally considered speculative because of the significant potential for investment loss. Markets for commodities are likely to be volatile and there may be sharp price fluctuations even during periods when prices overall are rising. Specific sector investing can be subject to different and greater risks than more diversified investments.

Tax Equiv Muni yields (TEY) assume a 35% tax rate on triple-A rated, tax-exempt insured revenue bonds.

Material prepared by Raymond James for use by its financial advisors.

The information contained herein has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Data source: Bloomberg, as of close of business April 14th, 2011.

©2011 Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. member FINRA / SIPC.

Frazier Allen
Frazier Allenhttp://www.raymondjames.com/frazierallen
Frazier Allen, WMS, CRPS, Financial Advisor with F&M Bank 50 Franklin Street | Clarksville, TN 37040 | 931-553-2048
RELATED ARTICLES

Latest Articles