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He’s coming.
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Dissatisfied
If you’re a market watcher, you’ve seen the market roar in a year that early 2017 talking heads predicted everything from a down market, to one up 10-15% or one filled with risk.
With only a few trading days left in the year, it appears forecasters had it wrong as the bull that lived in 2016 was stronger and more powerful in 2017.
But just because there has been plenty of bull around, doesn’t mean everyone reaped its rewards. Half of Americans aren’t investors and of them, one broker told me that it’s pretty much only those will millions who have made the big money.
Ain’t that always the case.
That said, if the streaming traffic into local malls is any indication of holiday spirits and gift buying, folks appear to be spending money—or creating more debt for themselves—like crazy.
If that’s a good thing, the not-so-good good thing is that a recent Willis Towers Watson employee-based survey revealed that just over one-third, (35%), of employees interviewed were satisfied with their finances this year (2017). That’s down from the 48 percent who were happy in 2015.
I’m hoping you are one of the satisfied ones.
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Market Quick Glance
Flyin high.
At the close of business on Friday, all the indices followed here had made positive gains. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
Below are the weekly and 1-year index performance results for four major indices— including the dates each reached new highs—according to CNBC.com based on prices at the close of business on Friday, December 15, 2017.
–DJIA +24.74% YTD up from last week’s 23.11%.
- 1 yr Rtn +24.18% up from last week’s 24.03%
Oh geez..another new high for the DJIA. This time it was reached on December 15, 2017 with the Dow closing at 24,688.62
The previous was reached on December 4. On March 1, the Dow stood at 21,169.11.
-S&P 500 +19.52% YTD up from last week’s 18.43%.
- 1yr Rtn +18.29% up from last week’s +18.04%
The S&P 500 reached another new high on December 15, 2017 as it closed at 2,679.63. Its previous high was reached on December 4, 2017 of 2,665.19.
On March 1, 2017, that index stood at 2,400.98.
-NASDAQ +28.86% YTD up from last week’s +27.07%.
- 1yr Rtn +27.12% up from last week’s 26.26%
On December 15, 2017, Nasdaq reached another new high of 6,945.82 The previous high of of 6,914.19 oon Nov. 28, 2017.
On April 5, 2017 the index closed at 5,936.39.
-Russell 2000 +12.77%YTD up from last week’s +12.13%
1yr Rtn +12.00% way up from last week’s +9.76%
The Russell 2000 reached a new all-time high on December 4, 2017 of 1,559.61. The previous high was reached on November 30, 2017 of 1,551.69.
On March 1, 2017 this index stood at 1,414,82.
-Mutual funds
No change from one week to the next in the year-to-date average cumulative total reinvested return for equity funds that fall under the broad U.S. Diversified Equity Funds heading. On Thursday, December 14, 2017, it stood at +16.59% at the close of business that day, according to Lipper. That’s the same as it was on Thursday of the previous week, 16.59%.
Looking back one year, more specifically 52 weeks, the average return of funds under that heading was a bit lower at +15.51%. Two year ago it stood at +13%. Three years ago at +8.53%. And five years ago (12/13/12 to 12/14/17) it was +12.68%.
The point here?
Although returns might not change from week to week, stock fund performances change often. Like daily. All the time. And every year.
Remember that.
Visit www.allaboutfunds.com for more information about how various equity and fixed-income funds have rewarded investors over the short-and long-term, based upon Lipper data. Short-term meaning weekly and monthly performance returns; longer-term includes quarterly, year-to-date, 1-yr, 2-yr, 3-yr and 5-yr returns.
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Looking ahead
Like him or not, our admitted pussy-grabbing president is more popular today than he was in September, according to a brand new hot-off-the-Internet CNBC All-American Economy Survey.
Survey results show:
-42% approve of the job Trump is doing as president—that’s up 4 points from the previous survey.
-49% disapprove of the job Trump is doing as president—that’s down 3 points.
-41% expect the economy to improve next year.
–And for the first time in 11 years, over half of those questioned rated the economy as good or excellent.
Huh.
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allaboutfundsdotcom 