WEEKLY TIP

One option that might help you leave more of your assets to charity when you pass away: put provisions in your estate planning documents that allow heirs to individually disclaim some or all of their inheritance in favor of a charitable donation. The disclaimed portion of the inheritance that is donated to charity will not be subject to estate tax. 

AN UPBEAT REPORT ON THE SERVICE SECTOR

The Institute for Supply Management’s May non-manufacturing purchasing manager index displayed a reading of 56.9 last week, showing expansion in U.S. service industries for an eighty-ninth straight month. Although the gauge declined 0.6 points from its April mark, it signaled a solid pace of growth. The index’s employment component rose 6.4 points to a mark of 57.8, as 15 industries added workers in May. The PMI has averaged a reading of 55.9 over the past 12 months.¹

FACTORY ORDERS DECLINED IN APRIL

According to a new Census Bureau report, they decreased 0.2%. That marked their first month-over-month retreat of 2017. The 0.2% gain for March factory orders, however, was revised up to 1.0%. Orders increased by an average of 0.7% per month in the first quarter.²

ABUNDANT SUPPLY HURTS OIL

WTI crude lost 3.8% during June 5-9, tumbling to a $45.83 settlement on the NYMEX Friday. The U.S. rig count rose again last week, as it has every week for the past five months. While OPEC has vowed to reduce production by 1.2 million barrels per day, daily American oil output has increased by almost 600,000 barrels, so far, this year.³

TWO MAJOR INDICES RETREAT; A THIRD RISES

Last week, the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.55% to 6,207.92, while the S&P 500 dipped 0.30% to 2,431.76. On the other hand, the Dow Jones Industrial Average managed to gain 0.31% on its way to a Friday close of 21,271.28. The CBOE VIX volatility index soared 17.03% for the week, settling Friday at 11.41.⁴

THIS WEEK:

Nothing major is scheduled for Monday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the May Producer Price Index on Tuesday; in addition, H&R Block and Wiley announce quarterly results. Wednesday, investors react to the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary policy decision, the May Consumer Price Index, the May retail sales report, and quarterly results from Jabil and Liberty Tax. A new initial jobless claims report arrives on Thursday, plus a report on May industrial output and earnings announcements from Bob Evans Farms and Kroger. On Friday, the University of Michigan’s preliminary June consumer sentiment index appears, along with data on May housing starts and building permits.

Sources: wsj.com, bigcharts.com, treasury.gov - 6/9/17^4,5,6,7

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This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted index of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks. The NASDAQ Composite Index is an unmanaged, market-weighted index of all over-the-counter common stocks traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System. The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. NYSE Group, Inc. (NYSE:NYX) operates two securities exchanges: the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and NYSE Arca (formerly known as the Archipelago Exchange, or ArcaEx®, and the Pacific Exchange). NYSE Group is a leading provider of securities listing, trading and market data products and services. The New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. (NYMEX) is the world's largest physical commodity futures exchange and the preeminent trading forum for energy and precious metals, with trading conducted through two divisions – the NYMEX Division, home to the energy, platinum, and palladium markets, and the COMEX Division, on which all other metals trade. Additional risks are associated with international investing, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic instability and differences in accounting standards. This material represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific point in time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investments will fluctuate and when redeemed may be worth more or less than when originally invested. All economic and performance data is historical and not indicative of future results. Market indices discussed are unmanaged. Investors cannot invest in unmanaged indices. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional.

Citations.

1 - instituteforsupplymanagement.org/ISMReport/NonMfgROB.cfm [6/5/17]

2 - briefing.com/Investor/Calendars/Economic/Releases/facord.htm [6/5/17]

3 - marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-pinned-down-by-strong-dollar-supply-worries-2017-06-09 [6/9/17]

4 - markets.wsj.com/us [6/9/17]

5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=6%2F9%2F16&x=0&y=0 [6/9/17]

5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=6%2F9%2F16&x=0&y=0 [6/9/17]

5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=6%2F9%2F16&x=0&y=0 [6/9/17]

5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=6%2F8%2F12&x=0&y=0 [6/9/17]

5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=6%2F8%2F12&x=0&y=0 [6/9/17]

5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=6%2F8%2F12&x=0&y=0 [6/9/17]

5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=DJIA&closeDate=6%2F8%2F07&x=0&y=0 [6/9/17]

5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=COMP&closeDate=6%2F8%2F07&x=0&y=0 [6/9/17]

5 - bigcharts.marketwatch.com/historical/default.asp?symb=SPX&closeDate=6%2F8%2F07&x=0&y=0 [6/9/17]

6 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyield [6/9/17]

7 - treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/interest-rates/Pages/TextView.aspx?data=realyieldAll [6/9/17]