“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
- Muhammad Ali

WEEKLY TIP

If you and your partner aren’t married, it might be prudent to create a domestic partnership agreement that states how expenses are shared, how assets are owned, and how those assets should be distributed in the event of your death(s) or the dissolution of the relationship.

WEEKLY RIDDLE

We know that a seahorse isn’t a horse, and we know that a silverfish isn’t a fish. For that matter, a snakehead isn’t a snake – but what is it?

 Last week’s riddle:

About 90% of this country’s land area is made up of arid tan desert, yet its flag is solid green – in fact, at present it is the only nation in the world with a flag containing just one color. What nation is this?

Last week’s answer:

Libya.

CONSUMER SENTIMENT HITS A 4-YEAR PEAK

May’s initial Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey came in with an index reading of 77.8, the highest mark since January 2008. The current economic conditions sub-index rose to 87.3 from last month’s final 82.9 reading. Descending oil and gas prices may have been factors promoting some optimism.

BIGGEST DROP IN PPI In 6 MONTHS
Falling energy prices influenced this development as well. Producer prices retreated 0.2% in April according to the Labor Department. Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast no change. The bulk of the retreat was attributed to the 1.4% April drop in energy costs. The PPI has only risen 1.9% in the last 12 months, the smallest annualized wholesale price inflation recorded since October 2009.

NEW DOUBTS IN THE EU AFFECT STOCKS

Eurozone elections brought new worries about whether Greece would abide by austerity cuts and stick with the euro. Efforts to form a coalition government in Greece stalled last week, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy was defeated in his reelection bid by socialist candidate Francois Hollande. Factor in the usual spring thoughts about whether stocks are ready to pull back, and the weekly losses were as follows: S&P 500, -1.15% to 1,353.39; DJIA, -1.67% to 12,820.60; NASDAQ, -0.76% to 2,933.82.

THIS WEEK: Facebook’s IPO is scheduled for Friday, and there are plenty of other news items on tap. On Monday, Groupon comes out with Q1 results. Tuesday, the April CPI appears plus data on April retail sales and earnings from JCPenney, TJX, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Saks and Home Depot. Wednesday brings data on April housing starts and industrial output, the April 25 FOMC minutes, and Q1 results from Deere, Abercrombie & Fitch, Target, Staples and Limited Brands. The Conference Board’s April consumer confidence index and new initial claims figures are out Thursday, joined by Q1 earnings from Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree, Ross Stores, Gap, Aeropostale and Sears. As Facebook starts trading on Friday, a G8 summit also starts at Camp David; Q1 results also arrive from Ann, Inc. (formerly Ann Taylor).

Sources: money.msn.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov, treasurydirect.gov – 5/11/12

Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly.

These returns do not include dividends.

WEEKLY TIP
If you are a single parent, a will, a power of attorney and disability income insurance are crucial to have – after all, you are the sole provider.

WEEKLY RIDDLE
About 90% of this country’s land area is made up of arid tan desert, yet its flag is solid green – in fact, at present it is the only nation in the world with a flag containing just one color. What nation is this?
Last week’s riddle:
Four grown men decided to play on the sidewalk for three hours. No one chided them for childish or immature behavior; many appreciated the noise they made in unison. They even went home a bit richer. What were these men doing?
Last week’s answer:
They were street musicians performing for passerby

UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN TO 8.1%
The jobless rate dipped 0.1% in April, but Wall Street didn’t exactly cheer about it as just 115,000 non-farm jobs were added to the economy. Economists polled by Briefing.com thought payrolls would expand by 162,000. The Dow fell 168 points Friday on the news. On the bright side, job gains across February and March were revised upward by 53,000. Payrolls grew by a cumulative total of 635,000 positions in Q1 2012, making it the best quarter for hiring since Q1 2006.

CONSUMER SPENDING UP 0.3%
Analysts termed March’s gain disappointing after the (upwardly revised) 0.9% advance in February. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News anticipated a 0.4% improvement. Consumer incomes rose 0.4% in March, the best month in that category since December; consumer wages were up 0.3%.

U.S. MANUFACTURING INDEX LEAPS NORTH
The Institute for Supply Management’s April manufacturing PMI rose 1.4% in April to 54.8, representing the best monthly gain since June. Now for the bad news: the ISM non-manufacturing index showed a 2.5% drop in the same month to 53.5.

AVERAGE RATE ON 30-YEAR FRM: 3.84%
That is a new all-time low recorded by Freddie Mac in its May 3 Primary Mortgage Market Survey. A year prior, interest rates on 30-year conventional home loans averaged 4.71%. Rates on the refinancer’s favorite tool – the 15-year FRM – have dropped from 3.89% to just 3.07% in the same time frame.

STOCKS DECLINE
The job report drained enthusiasm from the market Friday, and stocks retreated for the week. The five-day performances: S&P 500, -2.44% to 1,369.10; DJIA, -1.44% to 13,028.27; NASDAQ, -3.68% to 2,956.34. Also notable: oil’s dive back under $100. At Friday’s NYMEX close, crude futures settled at $98.49, down 6.14% in a week.

THIS WEEK: Monday offers Q1 results from Electronic Arts and Tyson Foods. Tuesday, DirecTV, Wendy’s, Disney and HSBC issue earnings reports. Wednesday brings earnings announcements from Priceline.com, NewsCorp, Toyota, AOL, Dean Foods, Macy’s, Activision Blizzard and Cisco. Thursday, new initial claims figures appear along with Q1 results from Kohl’s, Nordstrom and Sony; Fed chairman Ben Bernanke speaks at the annual Conference on Bank Structure and Competition in Chicago. Friday brings the April PPI and May’s initial University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey, and earnings arrive from Nissan and Nvidia.

% CHANGE	Y-T-D	1-YR CHG	5-YR AVG	10-YR AVG
DJIA	+6.72	+2.39	-0.36	+3.02
NASDAQ	+13.48	+4.53	+2.99	+8.33
S&P   500	+8.87	+1.62	-1.81	+2.75
REAL YIELD	5/4 RATE	1 YR AGO	5 YRS AGO	10 YRS AGO
10 YR   TIPS	-0.30%	0.70%	2.24%	3.48%

Sources: money.msn.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov, treasurydirect.gov – 5/4/12^1,7,8,9

Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly.

These returns do not include dividends

“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
-Robert Frost

 WEEKLY TIP

A good will should propose at least a few executors, as there is always the possibility that your first choice for executor might not outlive you.

 WEEKLY RIDDLE

Four grown men decided to play on the sidewalk for three hours. No one chided them for childish or immature behavior; many appreciated the noise they made. They even went home a bit richer. What were these men doing?

 Last week’s riddle:

They have no bodies, but you could say they have tails and heads. What are they?

 Last week’s answer:

Coins.

Q1 GDP: +2.2%

The federal government’s initial estimate disappointed many analysts, even with plenty of potential for upward revision later. After all, Q4 2011 had brought growth of 3.0%. Economists polled by Briefing.com expected the Q1 estimate to come in at +2.5%. Personal spending rose by 2.9% for the quarter, with car sales playing the largest role in the gain; subtract vehicle purchases, and the consumption increase was 1.1%, the smallest in four quarters.

KEY CONSUMER SENTIMENT SURVEY TOPS ESTIMATES
The final April Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey came in at 76.4, 0.7% higher than the prior 75.7 reading. Economists polled by Briefing.com thought there would be no advance. March’s final survey had a 76.2 reading.

MOre HOME SALES CONTRACTS INKED IN MARCH

Pending home sales improved by 4.1% in March to reach their highest level since April 2010, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. Another bit of good news was unexpected: February’s S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed prices rising 0.2% overall, the first advance recorded in ten months. Last week, Zillow said the median U.S. home value had increased 0.5% in March, the best monthly gain in six years. The sour note in last week’s real estate roundup was new home sales. The Census Bureau said they were down 7.1% in March. However, the median sale price was up 6.3% year-over-year.

NASDAQ HAS BEST WEEK IN NEARLY 3 MONTHS

The tech-heavy index rose 2.29% across April 23-27 to settle at 3,069.20 Friday. The Dow gained 1.53% across the same stretch to finish the week at 13,228.31, while the S&P 500 advanced 1.80% last week to 1,403.36 at Friday’s close. With one market day to go in April, only the Dow is in positive territory for the month.

THIS WEEK: March personal spending data arrives Monday, and so do Q1 results from NYSE Euronext, Shutterfly and Anadarko Petroleum. Tuesday, ISM’s April manufacturing PMI is out, plus data on April auto sales and earnings from BP, Pfizer, Motorola Mobility, Sirius XM Radio, Broadcom, Chesapeake Energy and CBS. Wednesday brings news on March factory orders and earnings from Marathon Oil, MasterCard, Comcast, Time Warner, UBS, Barrick Gold, CVS, DreamWorks, Green Mountain Coffee, Clorox, Sunoco, Transocean, Visa and Whole Foods. Thursday, we get ISM’s non-manufacturing PMI for April, new initial claims data, and results from General Motors, AIG, Kraft and LinkedIn. Friday, the April unemployment report is released and Berkshire Hathaway announces earnings.

Sources: cnbc.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov, treasurydirect.gov – 4/27/12

Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly.

These returns do not include dividends.

WEEKLY QUOTE

“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.”
- Tony Robbins

WEEKLY TIP

Take a look at your insurance policy and read the fine print about long-term or progressive illness in case you or a loved one are one day diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease or other forms of neurological disease.

WEEKLY RIDDLE

They have no bodies, but you could say they have tails and heads. What are they?

Last week’s riddle:

What is the beginning of sorrow and the end of sickness? Something you cannot express happiness without? Something that is always in risk, but never in danger?

Last week’s answer:

The letter S.

WHAT HELD UP HOMEBUYING LAST MONTH?

The National Association of Realtors said existing home sales fell 2.6% for March. A 1.3% drop in inventory for the month might have been a factor, and mild weather in January and February may have helped homes that would have sold in March sell earlier. Warmer January and February temperatures may have also skewed the numbers for housing starts: the Commerce Department said they slipped 5.8% in March. Now for some good news: building permits rose 4.5% last month to the best pace since September 2008, and Freddie Mac had interest rates on 30-year fixed rate home loans averaging just 3.90% last week.

RETAIL SALES UP 0.8% IN MARCH
This follows a 1.0% gain in the category in February. Did gas prices account for much of the increase? No. Minus gas and car sales, the March gain was 0.7%, and core retail sales (minus autos, gas, and home supplies) rose 0.5% last month.

LEADING INDICATORS BACK TO MID-2008 LEVELS

The Conference Board’s index of leading indicators reached 95.7 in March, getting closer to the 100 mark that would imply a healthy economy. The index rose 0.3% for the month with seven of ten indicators positive; interest rate spreads, building permits, stock gains and credit availability were the biggest influences.

THIS WEEK: Monday, ConocoPhillips, Hasbro, Xerox, DR Horton, Netflix and Texas Instruments announce Q1 results. Tuesday, earnings from Apple, Baidu, AT&T, 3M, US Steel, Amgen and Aflac are out plus the latest Case-Shiller home price index and data on March’s new home sales. On Wednesday, earnings reports roll in from Sprint, Boeing, Caterpillar, Eli Lilly, AutoNation, Delta, Credit Suisse, Motorola Solutions, GlaxoSmithKline and Akamai, March durable goods data is out, and the Fed makes a policy statement. Thursday, the NAR gives us its latest pending home sales report, new initial claims figures are in, and results from Barclays, Pulte, Amazon.com, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chrysler, ExxonMobil, PepsiCo, Royal Dutch Shell, Starbucks and Zynga round out the day. Friday, Chevron, Procter &Gamble and Merck offer Q1 results, and the BEA’s first estimate of Q1 GDP appears plus the final April consumer sentiment survey out of the University of Michigan.

Sources: online.wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov, treasurydirect.gov – 4/20/12

Indices are unmanaged, do not incur fees or expenses, and cannot be invested into directly.

These returns do not include dividends.

Last week’s answer:

The letter S.