Week
Ended November 18, 2011
Stocks
finished the week lower as encouraging economic data in the U.S. failed to
compensate for growing worries about European debt markets. Italian bond yields
climbed back above 7% after the assumption of power by a new government in
Italy over the weekend failed to assuage investors' concerns about the
sustainability of the country's debt. French yields rose as well, and Spanish
yields hit their highest level since the country joined the eurozone, leading
to worries that the financial "contagion" was continuing to spread.
U.S. stocks suffered both from worries that export markets in Europe would be
hit, and that the U.S. financial system might be infected. While most large
U.S. banks have taken steps to reduce their exposure to European sovereign
debt, bank stocks fell at midweek when Fitch Ratings warned that U.S. banks
could be "greatly affected" by the worsening situation in Europe.
Even as Europe stumbled, however, signs suggested that the U.S. economy was
regaining its footing. Retail sales rose by more than expected in October,
reflecting a rise in consumer confidence gauges, while weekly jobless claims
fell to their lowest level in seven months. The Conference Board's index of
future economic activity also rose to its highest level since February. Investor
sentiment may have reflected worries that the pickup in the pace of the
recovery would be undermined by policy blunders on this side of the Atlantic,
however. As the deadline for a deficit-reduction plan from the congressional
"supercommittee" approached with scant signs of progress, investors
began to brace themselves for a replay of the debt limit debacle
last summer.
U.S. Stocks1 |
|||
Index2 |
Friday's Close |
Week's Change |
% Change |
DJIA |
11796.16 |
-357.52 |
1.89% |
S&P 500 |
1215.65 |
-48.20 |
-3.34% |
NASDAQ Composite |
2572.50 |
-106.25 |
-3.03% |
S&P MidCap 400 |
861.53 |
-30.49 |
-5.04% |
Russell 2000 |
719.16 |
-25.47 |
-8.42% |
This chart is for illustrative purposes only and does not
represent the performance of any specific security. Past performance cannot
guarantee future results.
1Source of data Reuters, obtained through Yahoo! Finance Closing
data as of 4:10 p.m. ET.
2The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Standard & Poor's 500
Stock Index of blue chip stocks, the Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index,
and the Russell 2000 Index are unmanaged indexes representing various segments
by market capitalization of the U.S. equity markets. The Nasdaq Composite is an
unmanaged index representing the companies traded on the Nasdaq stock market
and the National Market System.
____________
Week
Ended November 18, 2011
Retail
sales rose 0.5% in October, reflecting solid growth in purchases of
nonautomotive goods despite modest gains in income. Weak automobile sales
restrained an even stronger overall gain. At the same time, consumer prices
moderated, although the increases were held in check by a 3.1% drop in gasoline
prices. The cost of food increased just 1.0% in October, breaking a nine-month
string of outsized gains. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices,
rose 2.1% from October 2010 through October 2011 and has been trending higher.
Consumer inflation is unlikely to fall significantly in the near term, assuming
that the economy continues to expand, according to T. Rowe Price
estimates. The domestic news had to be viewed against the backdrop of the
ongoing sovereign debt crisis in Europe and its potential to derail global
economic growth. Treasuries were mixed during the week, with the two-year yield
rising and longer-term yields declining from their levels of a
week earlier.
U.S. Treasury Yields1 |
||
Maturity |
November 18, 2011 |
November 11, 2011 |
2-Year |
0.28% |
0.23% |
10-Year |
2.01% |
2.06% |
30-Year |
2.99% |
3.13% |
This
table is for illustrative purposes only. Past performance cannot guarantee
future results.
1Source of data: Bloomberg.com, as of 4 p.m. ET Friday, November
18, 2011.
___________
International Stocks
Foreign stock markets closed lower for
the week ending November 11, 2011 with the broad international measure, the
MSCI EAFE Index (Europe, Australasia, and Far East), losing -0.22%.
|
||
Region/Country |
Week's Return |
% Change Year-to-Date |
EAFE |
-0.22% |
-8.93% |
Europe ex-U.K. |
0.34% |
-10.60% |
Denmark |
2.17% |
-15.52% |
France |
0.59% |
-11.65% |
Germany |
1.27% |
-10.26% |
Italy |
2.24% |
-15.24% |
Netherlands |
-0.40% |
-9.54% |
Spain |
0.32% |
-6.54% |
Sweden |
-1.03% |
-12.82% |
Switzerland |
-1.34% |
-6.52% |
United Kingdom |
0.71% |
0.01% |
Japan |
-1.72% |
-14.16% |
AC Far East ex-Japan |
-3.41% |
-11.86% |
Hong Kong |
-3.27% |
-14.04% |
Korea |
-5.02% |
-8.13% |
Malaysia |
-1.56% |
-3.26% |
Singapore |
-3.70% |
-13.34% |
Taiwan |
-3.44% |
-17.59% |
Thailand |
-0.64% |
-4.68% |
EM Latin America |
0.86% |
-13.64% |
Brazil |
0.23% |
-15.87% |
Mexico |
2.96% |
-6.67% |
Argentina |
7.51% |
-33.13% |
EM (Emerging Markets) |
-1.85% |
-13.43% |
Hungary |
-1.33% |
-29.37% |
India |
-4.15% |
-24.96% |
Israel |
-0.45% |
-24.25% |
Russia |
0.53% |
-9.74% |
Turkey |
-0.34% |
-24.71% |
International Bond Markets
International bond markets in developed
countries were higher this week, with the J.P. Morgan Global Government Bond
Less U.S. Index gaining 0.45%.
|
||
Region/Country |
Week's Return |
% Change Year-to-Date |
Developed Markets |
0.45% |
6.95% |
Europe |
|
|
Denmark |
0.39% |
12.49% |
France |
-2.28% |
3.77% |
Germany |
-0.02% |
10.97% |
Italy |
-1.21% |
-5.33% |
Spain |
-1.54% |
3.86% |
Sweden |
0.70% |
13.81% |
United Kingdom |
0.77% |
16.55% |
Japan |
1.61% |
7.49% |
Emerging Markets |
-0.32% |
8.89% |
Argentina |
-2.09% |
-9.37% |
Brazil |
-0.14% |
12.05% |
Bulgaria |
-0.51% |
2.45% |
Russia |
-0.51% |
7.21% |
International Currency Markets
On the currency front, the U.S. dollar
was weaker against the major currencies for the week.
|
|||
Currency |
Close |
Week's Return |
% Change |
Japanese yen |
77.070 |
-1.44% |
-5.24% |
Euro |
1.37351 |
0.17% |
-2.38% |
British pound |
1.60791 |
-0.33% |
-2.70% |
1U.S. dollars per national currency unit.
Sources: Foreign stock markets and
currency sections are from Rimes Technologies, using MSCI data. International
bond markets are from J.P. Morgan.
Note: All returns are in U.S. dollars.
All bond indices are J.P. Morgan. All stock indices are Morgan Stanley Capital
International (MSCI).
Equity Indices |
|
EAFE: |
MSCI Europe, Australasia, and Far East Index |
Europe Ex-U.K.: |
MSCI Europe ex-U.K. Index |
Far East Ex-Japan: |
MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan Index |
Latin America: |
MSCI Emerging Markets Latin America Index |
Emerging Markets: |
MSCI Emerging Markets Index |
Bond Indices |
|
Developed Markets: |
J.P. Morgan Global Government Bond Less U.S. Index |
Emerging Markets: |
J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Plus |
All charts are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the
performance of any specific security. Past performance cannot guarantee
future results.