The Markets (as of market close September 11, 2015)
The stock market rebounded nicely from the prior week's sell-off with each of the major indexes listed here posting positive gains last week. The Nasdaq was the leader, increasing 2.96% ahead of the previous week's close, followed by the S&P 500 and the Dow. Nevertheless, market uncertainty abounds, as investors anxiously await news from this week's Federal Reserve policymakers' meeting relative to a potential interest rate hike.
The price of gold (COMEX) dropped again, selling at about $1,107.90 by late Friday afternoon compared to $1,122.30 a week earlier. Crude oil (WTI) prices remained relatively the same, selling at $44.78/barrel by week's end. The national average retail regular gasoline price decreased to $2.437 per gallon on September 7, 2015, $0.073 under the previous week's price of $2.510 per gallon and $1.02 below a year ago.
Market/Index
2014 Close
Prior Week
As of 9/11
Weekly Change
YTD Change
DJIA
17823.07
16102.38
16433.09
2.05%
-7.80%
Nasdaq
4736.05
4683.92
4822.34
2.96%
1.82%
S&P 500
2058.90
1921.22
1961.05
2.07%
-4.75%
Russell 2000
1204.70
1136.17
1157.79
1.90%
-3.89%
Global Dow
2501.66
2281.91
2328.19
2.03%
-6.93%
Fed. Funds
0.25%
0.25%
0.25%
0%
0%
10-year Treasuries
2.17%
2.12%
2.19%
7 bps
2 bps
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.
The Markets (as of market close September 4, 2015)
While the stock markets gained some momentum during the last week of August, they could not maintain that positive trend for the first week of September. Each of the indices listed here lost week-on-week, with the large-cap S&P 500 dropping almost 68 points, and the Global Dow falling more than 91 points. All of these indices are now in negative territory year-to-date, led by the Dow, which lost 9.65% from the 2014 market close.
The price of gold (COMEX) dropped again, selling at about $1,122.30 by lateFriday afternoon compared to $1,133.30 a week earlier. Crude oil (WTI) prices remained relatively the same, selling at $45.77/barrel by week's end. The national average retail regular gasoline price decreased to $2.510 per gallon on August 31, 2015, $0.127 under last week's price of $2.637 per gallon and $0.949 below a year ago.
The latest stock sell-off in China sent U.S. stocks reeling at the beginning of the week. However, good economic news spurred by a favorable GDP report shifted momentum as stocks rallied to close ahead of last week. For the week, the Dow and Nasdaq were the biggest gainers. However, of the major markets listed here, only the Nasdaq remains in positive territory year-to-date.
The price of gold (COMEX) lost a bit, selling at about $1,133.30 by late Friday afternoon compared to $1,159.90 a week earlier. Crude oil (WTI) prices ended the week up, selling at $45.33/barrel by week's end. The national average retail regular gasoline price decreased from $2.716 per gallon on August 17, 2015, to 2.637 on August 24--a drop of $0.079--$0.817 below a year ago.
Market/Index
2014 Close
Prior Week
As of 8/28
Weekly Change
YTD Change
DJIA
17823.07
16459.75
16643.01
1.11%
-6.62%
Nasdaq
4736.05
4706.04
4828.32
2.60%
1.95%
S&P 500
2058.90
1970.89
1988.87
0.91%
-3.40%
Russell 2000
1204.70
1156.79
1162.91
0.53%
-3.47%
Global Dow
2501.66
2368.40
2373.32
0.21%
-5.13%
Fed. Funds
0.25%
0.25%
0.25%
0%
0%
10-year Treasuries
2.17%
2.04%
2.18%
14 bps
1 bps
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.
What a week! Investors had to take cover as several market indexes swooned to depths not seen in quite some time. Stocks responded negatively to China's continued economic woes, the not-entirely-unexpected resignation of Greece's prime minister (although he may be reelected in September), and crude oil hovering around $40. Compared to the August 14 close, the Dow lost nearly 1,000 points--closing down about 6%, Nasdaq dropped close to 7%, and each of the major market indexes listed here are now in negative territory year-to-date.
The price of gold (COMEX) continued trending upward, selling at about $1,159.90 by late Friday afternoon. Crude oil (WTI) prices dropped further, selling at $40.29/barrel by week's end. The national average retail regular gasoline price increased to $2.716 per gallon on August 17, 2015, $0.087 above the previous week's price and $0.756 below a year ago.
Dividends can be an important source of income. However, there are several factors you should take into consideration if you'll be relying on them to help pay the bills.
An increasing dividend is generally regarded as a sign of a company's health and stability, and most corporate boards are reluctant to cut them. However, dividends on common stock are by no means guaranteed; the board can decide to reduce or eliminate dividend payments. Investing in dividend-paying stocks isn't as simple as just picking the highest yield; consider whether the company's cash flow can sustain its dividend, and whether a high yield is simply a function of a drop in a stock's share price. (Because a stock's dividend yield is calculated by dividing the annual dividend by the current market price per share, a lower share value typically means a higher yield, assuming the dividend itself remains the same.)
Dividends can be an important source of income. However, there are several factors you should take into consideration if you'll be relying on them to help pay the bills.