Financial News and Portfolio Management Discussion through December 3rd

All the news you need to stay informed about what’s currently driving the market – courtesy of Raffa Wealth Management, LLC.

US Stocks posted their first weekly decline since the election. The S&P 500 fell 1.0% and the Dow edged up 0.1% for the week.  Internationally, Japan ticked up 0.3% and Europe declined 0.9% for the week.  The yield on the 10 year Treasury ended the week at 2.39%, up slightly from last week.  The yield hit a 17 month high during the week.  On the news that OPEC agreed to a production cut oil rose 12% over the week.  Article

The pace of hiring remained steady in November with 178,000 jobs added, in line with expectations. The unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in nine years at 4.6%.  However, the labor force participation rate declined. Earnings fell 0.1% from October, but are up 2.5% over the past year.  Article

Auto sales rose 3.5% in November driven by black Friday deals.

US home prices in September have finally surpassed their previous record high set in July 2006 according to the S&P Case-Shiller home price index.

Third quarter GDP growth was revised to 3.2% from the previously projected 2.9%, above economist expectations.  Article

China’s factory output continued to expand in November as fiscal stimulus has aided economic growth.

OPEC reached an agreement to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day sending crude prices soaring over 8%. The cuts were greater than analysts expected.  Article

With nearly all S&P 500 firms reporting, profits rose 4.2% from last year and sales picked up 2.6%.

 

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Raffa Wealth Management is an independent investment advisor providing nonprofit organizations, high net-worth investors, and qualified retirement plans with a full range of investment consulting services.  We were established to fill the need for transparency, clarity, and vision in the professional management of investment assets.   Visit us at www.raffawealth.com

 

There is no guarantee that any investment strategy, including those described here, will be successful. Any investment or investment strategy can lose money. Past performance does not guarantee or predict future results. You should not assume that any discussion or information contained herein serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from Raffa Wealth Management, LLC. This information was gathered from reliable sources, but we cannot guarantee accuracy. Indexes do not reflect the fees associated with actual investments and such fees would reduce the performance illustrated. Source: FMG Suite, LLC.
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