SOLID U.S. ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE SECOND QUARTER: The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 4.1% in the second quarter after a first quarter of 2.2% annualized growth. This is the best quarter in four years. The main contributing factors were consumer spending, business investment, surging exports and increased government spending. Because this…
DetailsUNPREDICTABLE TEXAS TEA: The price of oil has increased 23% in the first half of the year. However, it came down 9% in the past week after topping out at $79 a barrel. Since 2000, the average increase in the first half of the year has been 13.5%. OPEC has successfully cut back on production.…
Details
Dear Valued Clients & Friends: Second Quarter 2018 Market Commentary: April through June of 2018 witnessed familiar themes such as growing volatility in the stock markets and a flattening U.S. yield curve. However, new themes developed, the most significant of which were a slowdown in economic growth abroad and an increase in political risk,…
DetailsINFLATION: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.1% in June. The CPI has now risen 2.9% in the last twelve months, the fastest annual pace in over six years. Home and rent costs (about one third of overall consumer spending) is up 3.4% over the last twelve months, and medical care is up 2.5%. Food…
DetailsTHE LABOR MARKET REMAINS STRONG: In June, the U.S. economy added another 213,000 jobs. (It needs to create about 120,000 per month to keep up with population growth.) The unemployment rate actually increased back up to 4.0%, the first increase in ten months. This was largely due to the fact that over 600,000 who were…
DetailsPASSING THE STRESS TEST: The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank performed stress tests on the nation’s 35 largest banks. 34 passed and were given specific permission to reward their shareholders with dividends. Two banks, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, were required to keep their dividends at the same level as last year. These banks claim the…
DetailsULTRA CHEAP MAY BE OVER: Mortgages are still cheap by historical standards, but the era of ultra cheap may be over. This past week, mortgage rates jumped to their highest rates in seven years. This, of course, will affect home price appreciation and first-time home buyer activity. The average rate moved up to 4.61% from…
DetailsWE HAVE A DYNAMIC LABOR MARKET: Our current unemployment rate is very low, which is a very positive factor in our economy. Another positive factor is the rapid movement going on in the labor market. When employees are leaving their current employer for “greener pastures” it signals a very healthy labor market. According to last…
Details3.9%: The U.S. economy added 164,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate moved down to 3.9%. The Labor Force Participation Rate (the amount of working age population in the labor force) decreased to 62.8%. The added jobs and the workers who left the labor force combined to bring down the unemployment rate. This is…
DetailsU.S. ECONOMY GROWS BY 2.3% ANNUAL RATE IN FIRST QUARTER: The gross domestic product of the U.S. grew by an annual rate of 2.3% in the first quarter. This represented a bit of a slowing from the 2.9% rate in the fourth quarter of 2017, but it was above what most expected. It was also…
Details© Copyright 2008-2018 Compass Ion Advisors, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Securities offered through APW Capital, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. 100 Enterprise Drive, Suite 504, Rockaway, NJ 07866 (800)637-3211. | finra.org
Certain representatives of Compass Ion Advisors are also Registered Representatives offering securities through Comprehensive Asset Management and Servicing, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC
100 Enterprise Drive, Suite 504 | Rockaway, NJ 07866 | (800) 637-3211
Check the background of this firm on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.