Tuesday, June 29, 2010

THE WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE

C.W. Copeland & Associates presents
THE WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE
June 28, 2010

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
The person who makes a success of living is one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly.”– Cecil B. DeMille

Highest consumer confidence since January 2008
That is what the final University of Michigan/Reuters survey for June reveals. The index came in at 76.0, an improvement from the final 73.6 reading for May. (For the record, the survey has averaged 84.5 across the past ten years.) The poll’s index of consumer expectations (the “better or worse six months from now?” question) improved 1.0 points to 69.8.1

Home sales swoon in May
New and existing home sales plunged dramatically last month as federal homebuying credits left the picture. Economists expected new home sales numbers would dip, but the 32.7% decline announced by the Commerce Department surprised Wall Street and the real estate industry. The National Association of Realtors stated that existing home sales were down 2.2% last month.2

Durable goods orders fall, but corporate profits revised north
The Commerce Department noted an overall 1.1% decline in durable goods orders for May; minus transportation orders, there was actually a 0.9% gain in the category. It put 1Q GDP slightly lower at +2.7% in its final 1Q snapshot, but it also revised 1Q corporate profits north to +8.0%. Corporate earnings were 34.0% better than a year before - the largest year-over-year climb in 26 years, and a signal that both hiring and business investment are due to accelerate. The consensus 2Q forecast of a Wall Street Journal survey estimates second-quarter GDP will come in at +3.6%.1,3,4

BP, financial reform concerns weigh on Wall Street
The DJIA wrapped up Friday at 10,143.81, ending a rough week. The S&P 500 closed at 1,076.76 Friday, while the NASDAQ closed at 2,223.48. All three indices wound up in the red for 2010 as of Friday’s close, but the Russell 2000 remained positive (+3.15% YTD).5

% Change
Y-T-D
1-YR CHG
5-YR AVG
10-YR AVG
R I D D L E O F T H E W E E K
DJIA
-2.73
+19.73
-0.30
-0.38
Can you determine four consecutive prime numbers that add up to 220?
NASDAQ
-2.01
+21.53
+1.66
-4.32
S&P 500
-3.44
+17.01
-1.93
-2.60
Real Yield
6/25
1 YR AGO
5 YRS AGO
10 YRS AGO
10YrTIPS
1.21%
1.82%
1.65%
4.34%
ustreas.gov, bls.gov, 6/25/10)5,6,7,8
Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly. These returns do not include dividends.
Contact my office or see next week’s
Update for the answer!

Last week’s riddle: A man claims he was 88 years old two days ago, and yet he also tells you that he will turn 91 next year. How can this be?

Last week’s riddle answer: He talks to you on New Year's Day and his birthday is on December 31. So two days ago (12/30), he was 88. On 12/31, he turned 89. His 90th birthday occurs on 12/31 of this year, and he will turn 91 next year.

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Citations.
5 – cnbc.com/id/37927853 [6/25/10]


Regards,
C.W. Copeland
"Your Personal CFO"
C.W. Copeland & Associates
Lifestyle Management Advisors
3401 Norman Berry Drive

Suite 253
East Point, GA 30344
404.567.3275 (direct)
404.601.9534 (fax)

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