The Markets-July 6, 2021
S&P 500, Dow Jones Global ex-US, Gold, Bloomberg Commodity Index returns exclude reinvested dividends (gold does not pay a dividend) and the three-, five-, and 10-year returns are annualized; and the 10-year Treasury Note is simply the yield at the close of the day on each of the historical time periods.
Sources: Yahoo! Finance; MarketWatch; djindexes.com; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; London Bullion Market Association.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. N/A means not applicable.
THE HOUSING MARKET BOOM.
Low mortgage rates, high demand for homes and a limited supply of existing homes have pushed the cost of housing through the roof. In May, U.S. home prices were 23.6 percent higher than they were a year ago. The median sale price for an existing home was $350,300, and properties were selling at a rapid clip. Sales were constrained primarily by a lack of inventory and reduced affordability, reported the National Association of Realtors (NAR).16, 17
Housing prices are higher around the globe. Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and other nations have seen home prices increase, too, reported Delphine Strauss and Colby Smith of the FinancialTimes.18
While high demand and rising prices are good for homeowners, the phenomenon has economists and policymakers worried. “…The runaway market holds two concerns…First, prices could spiral into bubble territory, making economies vulnerable to a sudden market correction that would hit household wealth…Second, home ownership could become even more unaffordable for young people and key workers who were already priced out of many areas before the pandemic— entrenching inequalities between generations…”18
Weekly Focus – Think About It
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”
-Maya Angelou, Poet19
*These views are those of Carson Coaching, not the presenting Representative, the Representative’s Broker/Dealer, or Registered Investment Advisor, and should not be construed as investment advice.
* This newsletter was prepared by Carson Coaching. Carson Coaching is not affiliated with the named firm or broker/dealer.
* Government bonds and Treasury Bills are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value. However, the value of fund shares is not guaranteed and will fluctuate.
* Corporate bonds are considered higher risk than government bonds but normally offer a higher yield and are subject to market, interest rate and credit risk as well as additional risks based on the quality of issuer coupon rate, price, yield, maturity, and redemption features.
* The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. You cannot invest directly in this index.
* All indexes referenced are unmanaged. The volatility of indexes could be materially different from that of a client’s portfolio. Unmanaged index returns do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment. You cannot invest directly in an index.
* The Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Index covers approximately 95% of the market capitalization of the 45 developed and emerging countries included in the Index.
* The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.
* Gold represents the 3:00 p.m. (London time) gold price as reported by the London Bullion Market Association and is expressed in U.S. Dollars per fine troy ounce. The source for gold data is Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GOLDPMGBD228NLBM.
* The Bloomberg Commodity Index is designed to be a highly liquid and diversified benchmark for the commodity futures market. The Index is composed of futures contracts on 19 physical commodities and was launched on July 14, 1998.
* The DJ Equity All REIT Total Return Index measures the total return performance of the equity subcategory of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) industry as calculated by Dow Jones.
* The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), commonly known as “The Dow,” is an index representing 30 stock of companies maintained and reviewed by the editors of The Wall Street Journal.
* The NASDAQ Composite is an unmanaged index of securities traded on the NASDAQ system.
* International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. These risks are often heightened for investments in emerging markets.
* Yahoo! Finance is the source for any reference to the performance of an index between two specific periods.
* The risk of loss in trading commodities and futures can be substantial. You should therefore carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. The high degree of leverage is often obtainable in commodity trading and can work against you as well as for you. The use of leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains.
* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.
* Economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.
* Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.
* The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee it is accurate or complete.
* There is no guarantee a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.
* Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.
* Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
Sources:
1 https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/tracking-the-return-to-normalcy-after-covid-19 (or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2021/07-06-21_Economist_Global%20Normalcy%20Index_1.pdf)
2 https://www.barrons.com/articles/fed-june-jobs-report-51625272180?mod=hp_LEAD_3_B_1 (or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2021/07-06-21_Barrons_Strong%20Jobs_2.pdf)
3 https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
4 https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/29/economy/global-worker-shortage-pandemic-brexit/index.html
5 https://www.barrons.com/articles/solving-the-worker-shortage-is-the-nations-top-priority-51625005048 (or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2021/07-06-21_Barrons_Solving%20Worker%20Shortage_5.pdf)
6 https://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpseea11.htm
7 https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2020/article/job-market-remains-tight-in-2019-as-the-unemployment-rate-falls-to-its-lowest-level-since-1969.htm
8 https://www.npr.org/2021/06/24/1007914455/as-the-pandemic-recedes-millions-of-workers-are-saying-i-quit
9 https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings/
10 https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/07/01/does-americas-hot-housing-market-still-need-propping-up (or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2021/07-06-21_Economist_Hot%20Housing%20Market_10.pdf)
11 https://www.bea.gov/news/2021/personal-income-and-outlays-may-2021
12 https://data.sca.isr.umich.edu/fetchdoc.php?docid=67634
13 https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations
14 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-dangerous-is-the-delta-variant-and-will-it-cause-a-covid-surge-in-the-u-s/
15 https://www.barrons.com/articles/covid-19-delta-variant-stock-market-51625271990?refsec=the-trader (or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2021/07-06-21_Barrons_Stock%20Market%20Historically%20Strong_15.pdf)
16 https://www.marketplace.org/2021/06/24/purchasing-a-home-in-this-economy/
17 https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/existing-home-sales-experience-slight-skid-of-0-9-in-may
18 https://www.ft.com/content/05a1ebb3-15d7-4847-a71f-2e559edb459f (or go to https://resources.carsongroup.com/hubfs/WMC-Source/2021/07-06-21_Financial%20Times_Runaway%20House%20Prices_18.pdf)
19 https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/normal