Will the federal deficit grow if the proposed tax plan is passed?
The large caps of the Dow and S&P 500 closed last week with moderate gains, while small caps of the Russell 2000 enjoyed substantial gains. The Nasdaq also climbed over 1.0% and continues to lead in the year-to-date race, having gained almost 21.0% over its 2016 year-end value. Analysts suspect that the Trump administration’s proposed tax plan, if passed, would add to the federal deficit. This possibility has helped push long-term Treasury yields higher in anticipation of the issuance of more government bonds to offset the deficit.
The price of crude oil (WTI) continued to climb, closing at $51.64 per barrel, up from the prior week’s closing price of $50.66 per barrel. The price of gold (COMEX) fell to $1,282.50 by early Friday evening, down from the prior week’s price of $1,300.50. The national average retail regular gasoline price decreased to $2.583 per gallon on September 25, 2017, $0.051 less than the prior week’s price and $0.359 more than a year ago.
Chart reflects price changes, not total return. Because it does not include dividends or splits, it should not be used to benchmark performance of specific investments. Last Week’s Economic Headlines
Eye on the Week Ahead The August report on international trade in goods and services is out this week. The trade deficit for July was about $44 billion. The week ends with employment figures for September. The labor market has been steady for much of the year, although wage increases have been minimal. Average hourly earnings for August increased only 0.1% and were up 2.5% year-over-year. The September report is not expected to significantly deviate from those figures. |
Best Regards, Paul Hutton |
Recipe of the Week
Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Data sources: News items are based on reports from multiple commonly available international news sources (i.e. wire services) and are independently verified when necessary with secondary sources such as government agencies, corporate press releases, or trade organizations. Market data: Based on data reported in WSJ Market Data Center (indexes); U.S. Treasury (Treasury yields); U.S. Energy Information Administration/Bloomberg.com Market Data (oil spot price, WTI Cushing, OK); www.goldprice.org (spot gold/silver); Oanda/FX Street (currency exchange rates). All information is based on sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or guarantee is made as to its accuracy or completeness. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed herein constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, and should not be relied on as financial advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal, and there can be no guarantee that any investing strategy will be successful. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a price-weighted index composed of 30 widely traded blue-chip U.S. common stocks. The S&P 500 is a market-cap weighted index composed of the common stocks of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a market-value weighted index of all common stocks listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The Russell 2000 is a market-cap weighted index composed of 2,000 U.S. small-cap common stocks. The Global Dow is an equally weighted index of 150 widely traded blue-chip common stocks worldwide. Market indices listed are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Fixed and traditional insurance offered through Hutton Financial Advisors, which is not affiliated with Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. Prepared by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2017 |