• Consumer Confidence “Dips” - U.S. consumer confidence fell slightly in Oct. to 125.9 from a Sept. reading of 126.3 as worries over business conditions & employment prospects rose.

• Gannett and New Media Investment Group - Gannett reported its 3rd quarter earnings noting a continued decline in overall revenue but pointed to an increase in its marketing services & digital subscriptions.

• U.S.-China Trade Optimism - Technology stocks pushed the 3 main indexes to record highs, as hopes of a U.S.-China trade deal & an improving domestic economy raised risk appetite.

• Unemployment Rate Falls - Unemployment hit a 50-yr. low in September even though nonfarm payrolls rose by just 136,000 as the economy nears full employment.

• Impeachment and the Stock Market - The launch of an impeachment inquiry into President Trump tosses another wild card into a volatile stock market.

• Trade Talks Underway - U.S. & Chinese deputy trade negotiators launched a new round of talks on Monday aimed at resolving the 15-mo. trade war, with neither side showing any signs of giving ground.

In this month’s recap: The Fed cuts interest rates, the price of oil spikes, & trade negotiations between the U.S. & China are rescheduled.

THE MONTH IN BRIEF

September brought an economic event that was widely expected: a 1/4 point cut in short-term interest rates by the Federal Reserve. It also brought an attack on two of the world’s largest oil fields that threatened to dent global crude output. A resumption of U.S.-China trade talks was scheduled for Oct., and White House officials decided to delay some planned tariff increases.

Presented by Mark Herding, CFP^®, Sept. 2019

In this month’s recap: stocks descend as traders respond to the devaluation of the Chinese yuan as well as new developments in the ongoing U.S.-China trade talks; the price of gold rises, & bond yields fall.

THE MONTH IN BRIEF

The stock market had a tumultuous August, reacting to sudden devaluation of the Chinese yuan & escalation of the trade dispute between the U.S. & China. Ultimately, investors seemed more interested in risk aversion: the S&P 500 lost 1.81% for the month.

• Recent Jobless Claims Fall - Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped to 209,000 for the week ended August 17, 2019, falling sharply from the week before.

• Brexit Crisis Still Uncertain - British lawmakers will try to stop Boris Johnson from pursuing what they cast as a “calamitous no-deal Brexit”.

• New Wave of Tariffs in Trade War - The new tariffs are a sharp escalation in the trade war, and could cost U.S. households $800 a year.

• Economy is Steady - The economy added 164,000 nonfarm payrolls in July, as expected. Wages rose 0.3% in July, or 3.2% year over year.

• Yuan Falls - The yuan fell 1.4% which breached the key 7-per-dollar level for the first time since 2008.

• HSBC CEO Out - HSBC chief John Flint is stepping down after less than two years on the job.

• Stocks Steady amid Threatened Tariffs - Stocks were steady today after the U.S. threatened a new wave of tariffs on European goods, dulling recent optimism surrounding the U.S.-China trade truce.

• GE in Decline - GE's (GE) stock decline, down by nearly 2/3 since the end of 2016, has knocked the company down to the 59th most valuable in the S&P 500.

• OPEC, Allies Extend Supply Cut - OPEC and its allies agreed to extend oil output cuts until 3/20, seeking to prop up the price of crude as the global economy weakens & U.S. production soars.

• U.S. Stock Market Futures Fall - U.S. stock index futures fell Monday, after the China and U.S. trade relationship “intensified” over the weekend.

• U.S. Inflation Ticks Up - U.S. consumer prices increased in April, which could support the Fed’s contention that recent low inflation readings were temporary and allow the Fed to keep interest rates unchanged for a while.

• Factory Activity Slows - An escalating trade war between the U.S. and China raised fears of a global economic downturn and put pressure on policymakers to roll out more stimulus.