Financial News and Portfolio Management Discussion through January 10th

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

US stocks ended a volatile week down on global economic concerns.  The S&P 500 sank 0.6% and the Dow fell 0.5% for the week.  Internationally stocks were down as well with Japan falling 1.5% and Europe dropping 1.0%.  The yield on the 10 year Treasury slid to 1.98% its lowest level since 2013. Oil continued its plummet finishing the week at $48.36 a barrel.  Article

The December jobs report showed continued strong hiring with 252,000 jobs added in December.  In addition 50,000 more jobs were added in October and November than previously estimated.  The numbers conclude the best year in job growth in 15 years.  The unemployment rate sank to 5.6% from 6.7% a year earlier.  However, wage growth slowed 0.2% from November and is up only 1.7% over the year.  Article

Auto makers had their best year since 2006 in 2014 with over 16.5M cars sold.

German inflation fell to 0.1% in December a five year low.

Eurozone inflation fell 0.2% in December.  It’s the first contraction in five years.  Much of the decline was driven by falling oil prices which could be a positive for consumers.  Article

A future looking inflation rate for the US fell to its lowest level in 14 years and may cause the Fed to pause when considering raising interest rates.

 

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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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