The S&P 500 soared 2.1% last week. Better-than-expected economic data from the U.S. and China reduced the risk of a global recession. The global MSCI ACWI gained 2.1% as the rally was broad-based. The Bloomberg BarCap Aggregate Bond Index dropped 0.3% as interest rates rose on the positive economic news. Bond prices move in the opposite direction as interest rates.
Key Points for the Week
- Strong U.S. job growth and improved Chinese economic data pushed markets higher.
- U.S.-China trade talks continued, but no summit was announced.
- Stocks rose significantly on lower recession concerns.
China reported strength in a manufacturing report that supported a global stock market rally at the beginning of last week. A strong U.S. employment report supported markets on Friday. Both the U.S. and China remain upbeat on the prospects of a trade deal, but no summit to sign the agreement was announced last week. Many had hoped a summit would be announced soon. A deal is likely in the second quarter.
Labor Market
The monthly U.S. jobs report was released on Friday, displaying a continued robust labor market. The accompanying chart shows the strength of the March data and the ongoing strength in the U.S. labor market.
After a concerning report in February, March’s job growth recovered quite nicely, beating expectations by 20,000 at 196,000 new jobs. Job gains can often be attributed to a certain industry or sector, but this report showed job creation was spread across many industries, including health care, technical and professional services, food and drinking establishments, and construction. As the bars on the chart show, there have been other months where job growth slipped, but it has recovered in the next month.
The unemployment rate remained steady at 3.8%, while the labor participation rate fell 0.2% to 63%. As the top line on the chart shows, unemployment is still hovering around 50-year lows. One reason job growth has slowed slightly from last year is the lack of available workers, as businesses continue to struggle to find qualified workers.
The lower number of available workers has helped push salaries higher. As the bottom line on the chart shows, average hourly wages grew 3.2%. The growth was slightly lower than last month but well above the rate of inflation. Employees are getting paid more, which will lead to higher consumer spending and could be a facilitator to continued economic expansion.
There are still signs of an economic slowdown, but the U.S. labor market remains robust. If the labor market can continue to stay this strong, the risk of a recession in the U.S. is lower.
Fun Story
Should Warrensville Heights mayor have been named world’s tallest politician?
A major change in the Guinness Book of World Records could be happening very soon. In case you haven’t been following closely, the world’s tallest politician record is in jeopardy. The current record is 6’10”. But Warrensville Heights Mayor Brad Sellers, a former Ohio State and NBA player, is looking to bring back the title to Northeast Ohio with his towering height of 7’0”.
This newsletter was written and produced by CWM, LLC. Content in this material is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly. The views stated in this letter are not necessarily the opinion of any other named entity and should not be construed directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned herein. Due to volatility within the markets mentioned, opinions are subject to change without notice. Information is based on sources believed to be reliable; however, their accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
S&P 500 INDEX
The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is a capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.
MSCI ACWI INDEX
The MSCI ACWI captures large- and mid-cap representation across 23 developed markets (DM) and 23 emerging markets (EM) countries*. With 2,480 constituents, the index covers approximately 85% of the global investable equity opportunity set.
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index
The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is an index of the U.S. investment-grade fixed-rate bond market, including both government and corporate bonds
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