Financial News for the Week Ending August 16th

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

US Stocks gained ground over the week as international tensions eased over much of the week.  The S&P 500 rose 1.2% and the Dow was up 0.7% for the week.  Internationally, Japan rose 3.7% and Europe gained 1.5%.  Due to news of an attack by Ukraine on Russian armored vehicles, the German 10 Year government bond yield finished below 1% on the week for the first time ever.  The 10 year US Treasury bond yield fell as well sinking to 2.34% its lowest level since June of last year.  Article

Japan’s 2Q GDP contracted 6.8% as a new sales taxes hit consumers hard, however it was less of a contraction than economist had projected.

Single family home prices rose 4.4% in the year ended in June.  The slowest pace since 2012 and the home market shows signs of cooling.

July retail sales were flat showing the economy is still struggling to gain momentum.  Article

Growth in Europe has halted once again in the second quarter with no growth compared to the previous quarter in the euro zone and just 0.2% on an annualized basis as Italy, Germany and France all posted negative or no growth for the quarter.  Over the past year the euro zone has grown just 0.7%.  Article

Cisco’s second quarter results disappointed and the company announced cutting 6,000 jobs or 8% of its workforce.

Wal-Mart store traffic continued to sink, sales and profit were flat and the firm cut its earnings guidance for the rest of the year.  Article

Coca-Cola agreed to purchase 16.7% of energy drink maker Monster Beverage for $2.15 billion.

 

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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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