Daily Financial Intel

Market Week: June 29, 2020

Jul 2, 2020 10:03:49 AM / by The Retirement Group (800) 900-5867 posted in CAM Annuity, Chevron, ERB, ESRO, ExxonMobil, Financial Planning, Hewitt, In Service Withdrawal, Lump Sum, Northrop Grumman, Option 1 Withdrawal, Pension, Pension Options, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Verizon, 401K, 72t, Age Penalties, Benefit Commencement Date, Workshops, TRG

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The Markets (as of market close June 26, 2020)

The week began with the stock market picking up where it left off the previous week. Each of the benchmark indexes listed here advanced in value, led by the tech-heavy Nasdaq, which jumped 1.10%, pushed higher by Amazon and Adobe. Last Monday's run marked the seventh straight advance for the Nasdaq — its longest rally of the year. The Russell 2000 gained 1.00%, followed by the S&P 500, the Dow, and the Global Dow. Crude oil reached $40 per barrel for the first time in quite a while, the dollar dropped, and the yield on 10-year Treasuries inched higher. Stock values climbed despite the accelerating number of COVID-19 cases reported.

Tuesday saw both the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 continue to surge. In fact, the Nasdaq hit an all-time high as investors seemed to focus on signs of economic growth and the expectation of more government stimulus. President Trump tweeted that the U.S.-China trade deal remains fully intact, which further encouraged investors despite U.S. health advisor Anthony Fauci's warning of a disturbing surge in COVID-19 cases. Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft were winners at the end of the day, as were road and rail stocks, real estate, utilities, airlines, and retailers.

Stocks took a nosedive midweek as the growing number of reported COVID-19 cases was too much for investors to ignore. The pandemic is prompting fears that renewed restrictions will slow economic growth. Money poured into bonds, pushing prices higher and driving yields lower. Among sectors taking a particularly hard hit last Wednesday were energy, financials, and industrials. Airline stocks, which had been climbing as restrictions eased, got pummeled. Each of the indexes listed here took a sizeable hit, led by the small caps of the Russell 2000, which gave back nearly 3.50%. The Dow closed down 2.72% on the day, followed by the Global Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq, which ended its run of daily gains by sinking 2.19%.

Thursday was a better day for equities as each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains, led by the Russell 2000, which climbed nearly 2.00%. Bank stocks enjoyed a good boost after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation eased limits on bank risk-taking. As stocks climbed, more bad news came from the COVID-19 front. Thursday, the number of new virus cases surpassed April's peak, prompting the governor of Texas to pause the process of reopening. Also, new weekly claims for unemployment insurance approached 1.5 million — a figure that's lower than the prior week, but still indicative of the number of people who have lost their jobs.

Both Texas and Florida imposed new restrictions as reported virus cases surged last Friday, sending stocks tumbling. These are the first states to reimpose restrictions, although several other states are considering added restrictions and/or delaying reopenings. The Dow fell 2.84%, the Nasdaq dropped 2.59%, and both the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 gave back more than 2.40%, respectively.

For the week, each of the benchmarks lost notable value, led by the Dow, which fell more than 3.30%. Clearly, rising COVID-19 cases throughout several parts of the country have curbed investor enthusiasm over encouraging economic news. The market swung up and down for much of the week, with bank stocks being particularly volatile. After the FDIC eased restrictions on bank investing last Thursday, the Federal Reserve indicated its plan to restrict banks' sharing of profits through dividends and share repurchases. Of the remaining indexes listed here, the S&P 500 fell back into correction territory after dropping 2.86%. The small caps of the Russell 2000 lost nearly 3.00%, the Global Dow declined nearly 2.25%, while the Nasdaq fared the best, losing less than 2.00% for the week.

After climbing higher the week before, crude oil prices sank lower last week, closing at $38.10 per barrel by late Friday afternoon, down from the prior week's price of $39.50. The price of gold (COMEX) advanced again last week, closing at $1,784.10 by late Friday afternoon, up from the prior week's price of $1,755.10. The national average retail regular gasoline price was $2.129 per gallon on June 22, 2020, $0.031 higher than the prior week's price but $0.525 less than a year ago.

Social Security and Medicare Face Financial Challenges

Jun 24, 2020 4:24:59 PM / by The Retirement Group posted in CAM Annuity, Chevron, ERB, ESRO, ExxonMobil, Financial Planning, Hewitt, In Service Withdrawal, Lump Sum, Northrop Grumman, Option 1 Withdrawal, Pension, Pension Options, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Verizon, 401K, 72t, Age Penalties, Benefit Commencement Date, Workshops, TRG

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Market Week: June 22, 2020

Jun 22, 2020 8:54:00 AM / by The Retirement Group (800) 900-5867 posted in CAM Annuity, Chevron, ERB, ESRO, ExxonMobil, Financial Planning, Hewitt, In Service Withdrawal, Lump Sum, Northrop Grumman, Option 1 Withdrawal, Pension, Pension Options, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Verizon, 401K, 72t, Age Penalties, Benefit Commencement Date, Workshops, TRG

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The Markets (as of market close June 19, 2020)

Equities began the week edging higher following the Federal Reserve's announcement that it would buy corporate bonds under an emergency lending program. The Russell 2000 closed up 2.3%, the Nasdaq gained 1.4%, while the S&P 500 and the Dow eked out gains of less than 1.0%, respectively. After last week's tailspin, crude oil prices rebounded while the yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced slightly. Investors remain weary, however, as more than 20 states are seeing an uptick in reported cases of COVID-19, and new hotspots in Beijing and India are raising concerns of a resurgence of the pandemic.

Following an impressive retail sales report, stocks jumped higher last Tuesday. Led by the Global Dow (2.45%), each of the benchmark indexes listed here posted gains of at least 1.75% (Nasdaq). Also climbing were crude oil prices (2.24%), gold (0.47%), and the yield on 10-year Treasuries (7.69%). Most sectors advanced, with the best performers being energy, health care, and materials. Along with the robust retail sales report, the Trump administration announced that it is preparing a $1 trillion infrastructure proposal aimed at accelerating the economy.

The Nasdaq inched ahead on Wednesday, but that was the only benchmark to gain. The large caps of the Dow and S&P 500 fell 0.65% and 0.36%, respectively. The Russell 2000 sank 1.77%, and the Global Dow changed negligibly. The yield on 10-year Treasuries dropped 3.04% while crude oil prices decreased 1.75% to $37.71 per barrel. It appears increases in reported COVID-19 cases were enough to pull investors from stocks.

Stocks were mixed last Thursday as concerns over the escalating number of reported virus cases, coupled with another 1.5 million new claims for unemployment insurance, caused investor uneasiness. The Dow fell 0.15% while the S&P 500, the Nasdaq, and the Russell 2000 all posted marginal gains. Energy stocks helped buoy stocks following a pledge from major oil-producing countries to continue to limit output.

Friday closed what may be best described as a roller-coaster ride for stocks. The Dow fell 0.80%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.56%, the Russell 2000 lost 0.59%, and the Global Dow gave back 0.29%. Only the tech-heavy Nasdaq eked out a 0.03% gain. Earlier in the day, stocks rallied following reports out of China that it would comply with phase one of the trade deal by accelerating purchases of U.S.-exported farm goods. Nevertheless, record increases of COVID-19 reported cases in Florida and Arizona drew stocks back from earlier gains.

For the week, the ups and downs experienced by equities ended with the benchmark indexes closing ahead, led by the Nasdaq, followed by the Russell 2000, the S&P 500, the Global Dow, and the Dow. The yield on 10-year Treasuries closed the week where it began. Year to date, the Nasdaq is safely ahead of last year's closing value, while the other benchmark indexes have yet to catch up to their respective 2019 year-end marks.

Crude oil prices are back on the upswing after major oil-producing countries agreed to continue to limit output. The week ended with oil prices hovering around $39.50 per barrel by late Friday afternoon, up from the prior week's price of $36.41. The price of gold (COMEX) continued to climb last week, closing at $1,755.10 by late Friday afternoon, up from the prior week's price of $1,738.40. The national average retail regular gasoline price was $2.098 per gallon on June 15, 2020, $0.062 higher than the prior week's price but $0.572 less than a year ago.

Leaving Your 401(k) With Your Previous Employer

Jun 20, 2020 12:45:00 PM / by The Retirement Group posted in CAM Annuity, Chevron, ERB, ESRO, ExxonMobil, Financial Planning, Hewitt, In Service Withdrawal, Lump Sum, Northrop Grumman, Option 1 Withdrawal, Pension, Pension Options, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Verizon, 401K, 72t, Age Penalties, Benefit Commencement Date, Workshops, TRG

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Cash Out Your 401(k)

Jun 20, 2020 8:15:00 AM / by The Retirement Group posted in CAM Annuity, Chevron, ERB, ESRO, ExxonMobil, Financial Planning, Hewitt, In Service Withdrawal, Lump Sum, Northrop Grumman, Option 1 Withdrawal, Pension, Pension Options, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Verizon, 401K, 72t, Age Penalties, Benefit Commencement Date, Workshops, TRG

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Chevron Pension: Lump Sum Interest Rates Update

Jun 17, 2020 4:45:34 PM / by The Retirement Group posted in CAM Annuity, Chevron, ERB, ESRO, Financial Planning, Hewitt, In Service Withdrawal, Lump Sum, Northrop Grumman, Option 1 Withdrawal, Pension, Pension Options, Retirement, Retirement Planning, 401K, 72t, Age Penalties, Benefit Commencement Date, Workshops, TRG

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Market Week: June 15, 2020

Jun 15, 2020 8:36:43 AM / by The Retirement Group (800) 900-5867 posted in CAM Annuity, Chevron, ERB, ESRO, ExxonMobil, Financial Planning, Hewitt, In Service Withdrawal, Lump Sum, Northrop Grumman, Option 1 Withdrawal, Pension, Pension Options, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Verizon, 401K, 72t, Age Penalties, Benefit Commencement Date, Workshops, TRG

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The Markets (as of market close June 12, 2020)

Last week began with a bang for stocks as each of the indexes gained well over 1.0% for the day. The S&P 500, after climbing 1.2%, has picked up nearly 45.0% since its 2020 low, pushing it into the black for the year. The Nasdaq rose to a record high while the Dow and Russell 2000 surged by close to 2.0% each. Oil prices fell marginally, and the dollar sank, as did the yield on 10-year Treasuries. Investors were encouraged by the prospects of more reopenings, the Federal Reserve's expansion of its Main Street Lending Program, and the growing sentiment that the economy is reversing course toward expansion. Market sectors leading the way included energy, real estate, airlines, financials, travel and leisure, and retail.

Investors pulled some profits out of stocks last Tuesday, sending each of the benchmark indexes (except the Nasdaq) lower. The Dow fell 1.1%, and the S&P 500 dipped 0.8%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq edged up 0.3% and reached 10,000 for the first time in its history, only to fall back slightly by the end of trading. Oil prices rose, the yield on 10-year Treasuries dropped, and the dollar declined for the ninth straight day.

Equities fell again last Wednesday despite the Fed's announcement that it would maintain the current target rate range at 0.00%-0.25% and continue to make asset purchases at the current pace. The Dow dropped 1.0%, the S&P 500 lost 0.5%, but the Nasdaq continued to climb, gaining 0.7%. For the first time in several sessions, FAANGs (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Alphabet Google) posted gains, along with health care and tech stocks.

Stocks plunged dramatically last Thursday as investors sold stocks on news of rising COVID-19 cases coupled with the Federal Reserve's assessment that the economy will be slow to recover. Each of the indexes listed here fell by at least 5.27%, with the Russell 2000 dropping 7.58% and the Dow plummeting 6.90%. Yields on 10-year Treasuries sank, as did crude oil prices.

Equities rallied from Thursday's rout, but not enough to prevent an overall week of losses. Stocks posted solid returns last Friday with each of the benchmark indexes listed here posting solid daily gains, led by the Russell 2000, which climbed more than 2.25% on the day. Crude oil prices inched up, as did the yields on 10-year Treasuries.

However, the week was marked by fears of a second virus wave, which sent equities into a tailspin. While stocks rallied Friday, the major indexes lost ground for the week. The small caps of the Russell 2000 were hit the hardest, followed by the Dow, Global Dow, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq. Year to date, only the Nasdaq remained solidly in the black, while the Russell 2000, the Global Dow, and the Dow continue to lag by more than 10.0%, respectively. Investors exercised caution in light of rising COVID-19 infection rates and an uncertain economic outlook.

For the first time in several weeks, crude oil prices fell, closing the week at $36.41 per barrel by late Friday afternoon, down from the prior week's price of $39.16. The price of gold (COMEX) soared last week, closing at $1,738.40 by late Friday afternoon, up from the prior week's price of $1,688.30. For the sixth week in a row, gas prices rose. The national average retail regular gasoline price was $2.036 per gallon on June 8, 2020, $0.062 higher than the prior week's price but $0.696 less than a year ago.