Weekly Market Update December 14, 2012
Domestic stock prices were mixed again this week. Fiscal cliff negotiations once again drove trading action, with investors overlooking generally improving economic data. Stocks also shrugged off the Fed’s announcement this week that it would continue to take aggressive monetary action to lower unemployment. Global markets were generally higher on the week. Most world markets were higher this week, with positive manufacturing data coming from China propelling emerging markets stocks. Egypt’s market also surged ahead of a constitutional referendum on the future of the nation’s politics.
Treasury prices were lower this week. Yields on the benchmark 10‐year Treasury ended the week higher as a result of heightened inflation expectations following the Fed’s announcement of additional Treasury purchases. Prices also fluctuated throughout the week with news on the fiscal cliff negotiations.
Commodity indexes declined on the week. Within the energy complex, crude oil was moderately higher, but natural gas plunged on forecasts of warm weather. Precious metals were slightly lower despite the Fed’s announcement this week of additional monetary stimulus.
| MARKET DASHBOARD | ||||
| Index |
Price |
Weekly Chg. |
% Chg. |
YTD % Chg. |
| S&P 500 |
1,412.93 |
-1.36 |
-0.1% |
12.7 % |
| Dow Industrials |
13,135.01 |
7.85 |
0.1% |
7.7% |
| Nasdaq Composite |
2,971.34 |
3.23 |
0.1% |
14.4% |
| Russell 2000 |
823.75 |
4.14 |
0.5% |
11.5% |
| Euro Stoxx Index |
279.40 |
0.23 |
0.1% |
14.3% |
| Shanghai Composite |
2,150.63 |
88.84 |
4.3% |
-2.2% |
| 10-Year U.S. Treasury |
1.71 |
8 bps |
NM |
-2 bps |
| DJ UBS Commodity Index |
140.54 |
-1.07 |
-0.8% |
-0.2% |
| Gold |
$1,695.30 |
-$7.73 |
-0.5% |
8.4% |
| Crude Oil |
$86.84 |
$0.79 |
0.9% |
-11.3% |
| U.S. Dollar Index |
79.60 |
-0.88 |
-1.1% |
-0.8% |
| VIX Index |
17.06 |
0.78 |
4.9% |
-28.7% |
| Source: Bloomberg | ||||
| As of December 14, 2012 | ||||