2006 Charts of the Week
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- Investment Resolutions for 2007
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted December 29, 2006
- It’s a popular time of the year to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Along with the other goals you set for yourself in 2007, it’s important to think about your financial well-being and retirement.
- Foreign vs. Domestic Large Growth Funds
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted December 22, 2006
- Over the past three years, large capitalization international growth funds have on average produced higher returns than US domestic large cap growth funds, as measured by Morningstar's category averages.
- Consumer Price Index Rises
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted December 15, 2006
- As of November 30, the year-over-year Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 2.0%. However, Core CPI, which excludes energy and food prices, is up 2.6%. This higher level of Core inflation reflects the impact declining energy prices have had on the broader CPI measure of 2.0%, as highlighted above.
- The True Cost of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted December 8, 2006
- In 2006 it would cost $75,122 to provide the goods and services given as gifts in the classic “Twelve Days of Christmas,” an increase of 3.5% from the total price tag in 2005.
- Historical S&P 500 Year-End Performance
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted December 1, 2006
- The S&P 500 has historically tended to underperform during August through September, as reported recently by BusinessWeek.com.
- Ownership of Mutual Funds
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted November 24, 2006
- An annual survey conducted by the Investment Company Institute (ICI) found that nearly 55 million US households, 48 percent of all US households, own mutual funds in 2006. Although both figures are lower than their respective historical highs of 56.3 million and 52 percent in 2001, the aggregate number of households owning mutual funds has increased over the past two years.
- Mortgage Rate and Refinance
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted November 17, 2006
- One of the drivers of increasing refinance activities may be the declining mortgage interest rate. A declining mortgage rate encourages borrowers to lower their interest expense by refinancing their mortgages.
- Unemployment at Five-year Low
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted November 10, 2006
- The futures contract price of the world’s most-planted crop, wheat, has been rising at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), while the futures prices for other commodities, such as oil and gold have fallen.
- Upward Trend in Wheat Prices
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted November 3, 2006
- The futures contract price of the world’s most-planted crop, wheat, has been rising at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), while the futures prices for other commodities, such as oil and gold have fallen.
- Allocation of 401(k) Plan Assets
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted October 27, 2006
- 401(k) plans are now the most common type of employer-sponsored retirement plan in the United States. It’s interesting to see how American workers have choosen to allocate assets in their 401(k) plans over a two year period.
- Are Large-Caps Making a Comeback?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted October 20, 2006
- Since the year 2000, small-caps have been outperforming large-caps in domestic equity markets. During the following two quarters however, small-cap stocks lost their momentum while large-caps rallied.
- Dow Jones Industrial Average Hits New High
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted October 13, 2006
- A strong U.S stock market rally in October helped the Dow Jones Industrial Avearage (DJIA) break through its historical high level from January 2000.
- 3rd Quarter Market Review
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted October 6, 2006
- Capital markets finished the third quarter of 2006 with positive results.
- S&P 500 Sector Reversal Pattern
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted September 29, 2006
- Every year since 1990, the S&P 500 Index’s worst performing sector in the first three quarters of each year has reversed to have a positive return in the last quarter. But investors must be cautious when the media reports patterns like this.
- International Interest Rate Comparison
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted September 22, 2006
- Analysts predict the US will continue to have the highest benchmark rate among G7 countries into the end of 2006. On a bright note, this helps attract capital inflow from other countries to fund the increasing trade deficit.
- An End of a Commodities Boom?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted September 15, 2006
- In the past five years, investors have seen a strong commodities market. But the recent decline in prices at least eases concerns that inflation driven by commodities will further slow economic growth in the economy as a whole.
- REITs in the Cooling Housing Market
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted September 8, 2006
- The housing market, which drove US economic growth in the past three years, has clearly been cooling down this year. However REITs, which invest in real estate and sell as shares on major exchanges, are doing well so far.
- Job Market: Where Are We and What’s to Come?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted September 1, 2006
- At first glance, the Monster.com Employment Index seems to indicate that labor market conditions remain solid. But jobless claims are expected to rise gradually over the next year, continuing the trend since January.
- Investment Performance Rankings of Major Market Asset Classes
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted August 25, 2006
- No single asset class dominated the performance spectrum over the last decade. The year-to-year fluctuations make it practically impossible to predict which asset class will reward investors with high returns.
- Is Stagflation Back?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted August 18, 2006
- The term stagflation refers to an economy where prices are rising while output is falling, and some speculate that this is where the US is headed. But economists feel the situation today is different and much milder than the last period of stagflation in the 1970s.
- Top Performing Industries Review
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted August 11, 2006
- Which industry groups in the S&P 500 Index have produced the highest returns for shareholders so far this year? With soaring energy prices, industries related to energy have generated solid returns. But other industries such as agricultural products, diversified metals, and even automobile maufacturers are also performing quite well.
- Downward Trend in Fund Fees and Expenses
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted August 4, 2006
- High fees and expenses of mutual funds have long been considered as a detractor from investment returns and a major reason for the failure of most mutual funds to beat the market over time. However, the good news is that average fees and expenses of equity and bond funds have declinedsince 1980. Lower fees and expenses of mutual funds are especially beneficial to long-term investors because that leaves higher after-fee returns for compounding.
- Gas Prices Approach Last Year's High
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted July 28, 2006
- The average price per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has been rising quickly over the past few months. As of July 24th the price was $3.00, close to the record high level of $3.07 last September when Hurricane Katrina disrupted fuel supplies.
- The Currency Effect in International Investing
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted July 21, 2006
- When investing abroad, US investors buy securities in another country’s currency, so fluctuations in exchange rates can have a significant effect on returns. Over the long-term, currency fluctuations smooth out, but investors in international markets are actually facing risks from both market volatility and currency fluctuation.
- What Will Help You Achieve Returns: Time or Timing?
- MarketView Chart of the Week, posted July 14, 2006
- Some investors perceive that the expected annual return of stock investments should be 10%—not likely. However, the longer the investment horizon is, the higher the probability an investor will actually realize the long-term average return of 10%.
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