Large-cap benchmarks managed a modest
gain for the week, while the smaller-cap indexes and the technology-oriented
Nasdaq fared somewhat better. On Monday, stocks fell to their lowest levels
since early November in response to a report that the Fed would soon release
details on plans to scale back its current policy of extraordinary monetary
stimulus. Continuing worries about financial instability in Europe also weighed
on sentiment. News that Germany was considering measures to help Greece deal
with its fiscal problems helped stocks rebound on Tuesday. Stocks enjoyed
further gains Thursday, when the government reported a larger-than-expected
drop in weekly and continuing jobless claims—a welcome reversal to a
recent pattern of worsening labor market data. The week ended on somewhat of a
down note, however, as investors’ worries over fragility in Europe were buttressed by
data showing almost no economic growth in the region in the last quarter of
2009. News that China was taking further steps to tighten monetary policy also
unsettled investors.
U.S. Stocks1 |
|||
Index2 |
Friday’s Close |
Week’s Change |
% Change |
DJIA |
10099.14 |
86.91 |
-3.15% |
S&P 500 |
1075.51 |
9.33 |
-3.55% |
NASDAQ Composite |
2183.53 |
42.41 |
-3.77% |
S&P MidCap 400 |
715.96 |
18.87 |
-1.48% |
Russell 2000 |
609.48 |
16.98 |
-3.88% |
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 February 12, 2010
Treasury yields rose during the week. On
Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified before the House
Financial Services Committee that “we have been working to ensure that we have the tools
to reverse, at the appropriate time, the currently very high degree of monetary
stimulus.”
Although investors have long known that the Fed could not keep its current
policy in place indefinitely, nervousness over Bernanke’s testimony appeared to
help send government bond yields higher. The rise in yields and decline in
prices occurred despite continuing worries over the financial situation in
Greece and its possible spillover effects elsewhere in Europe, a factor which
might normally send investors to the safe haven of the Treasury market. While
Europe appeared to be struggling, reports on the U.S. economy released during
the week were generally favorable. On Thursday, the Labor Department reported a
larger-than-expected decline in weekly jobless claims, breaking a pattern of recent
reports that indicated renewed weakening in the labor market.
U.S. Treasury Yields1 |
||
Maturity |
February 12, 2010 |
February 5, 2010 |
2-Year |
0.83% |
0.75% |
10-Year |
3.69% |
3.56% |
30-Year |
4.64% |
4.51% |
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, February 12, 2010.
____________________________
Week Ended February 5, 2010
International Stocks
Foreign
stock markets closed higher for the week ending February 5, 2010 with the broad
international measure, the MSCI EAFE Index (Europe, Australasia, and Far East),
losing -3.86%.
|
||
Region/Country |
Week’s Return |
% Change Year-to-Date |
EAFE |
-3.86% |
-8.09% |
Europe ex-U.K. |
-5.72% |
-11.77% |
Denmark |
-2.56% |
0.49% |
France |
-6.04% |
-12.99% |
Germany |
-4.75% |
-12.97% |
Italy |
-6.50% |
-14.41% |
Netherlands |
-6.20% |
-9.53% |
Spain |
-9.36% |
-19.99% |
Sweden |
-3.08% |
-5.49% |
Switzerland |
-4.63% |
-7.82% |
United Kingdom |
-4.65% |
-9.24% |
Japan |
0.32% |
2.23% |
AC Far East
ex-Japan |
-3.03% |
-8.95% |
Hong Kong |
-1.34% |
-7.83% |
Korea |
-2.98% |
-7.21% |
Malaysia |
-2.04% |
-2.90% |
Singapore |
-3.25% |
-9.06% |
Taiwan |
-5.44% |
-11.57% |
Thailand |
-1.35% |
-6.59% |
EM Latin America |
-3.73% |
-12.27% |
Brazil |
-4.37% |
-14.82% |
Mexico |
-1.03% |
-7.19% |
Argentina |
-5.16% |
-8.18% |
EM (Emerging
Markets) |
-3.79% |
-9.14% |
Hungary |
-10.81% |
-10.17% |
India |
-4.53% |
-9.59% |
Israel |
-0.11% |
0.20% |
Russia |
-4.58% |
-2.30% |
Turkey |
-7.92% |
-5.84% |
International Bond
Markets
International
bond markets in developed countries were lower this week, with the J.P. Morgan
Global Government Bond Less U.S. Index losing -0.22%.
|
||
Region/Country |
Week’s Return |
% Change Year-to-Date |
Developed Markets |
-0.22% |
-0.14% |
Europe |
|
|
Denmark |
-0.94% |
-2.67% |
France |
-1.12% |
-3.02% |
Germany |
-1.05% |
-2.68% |
Italy |
-1.25% |
-4.27% |
Spain |
-1.87% |
-5.22% |
Sweden |
-0.96% |
-2.80% |
United Kingdom |
-2.13% |
-2.26% |
Japan |
1.24% |
3.92% |
Emerging Markets |
-0.65% |
-0.79% |
Argentina |
-4.72% |
-10.40% |
Brazil |
-0.51% |
-1.46% |
Bulgaria |
-1.37% |
-1.07% |
Russia |
-0.22% |
0.60% |
International Currency
Markets
On
the currency front, the U.S. dollar was stronger against the major currencies
for the week.
|
|||
Currency |
Close |
Week’s Return |
% Change |
Japanese yen |
89.360 |
-1.45% |
-4.18% |
Euro |
1.36711 |
1.65% |
4.72% |
British pound |
1.56451 |
2.37% |
3.12% |
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.