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Stocks Rise on Earnings & Greece
Caseslattery - JULY 20, 2015
In This Issue
Stocks surged in an action-packed week, giving the NASDAQ two record closes in a row. For the week, the S&P 500 gained 2.41%, the Dow rose 1.84%, and the NASDAQ soared 4.25%.[1]

Investors around the world breathed a sigh of relief when EU negotiators finally reached a deal on Greece after weeks of brinksmanship. However, all is not won yet since the deal must pass several Eurozone parliaments next and Greece must apply for a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.[2] But, the European Central Bank approved more emergency relief and Greek banks are due to reopen this week.[3] Will this new bailout resolve all of Greece's issues? Certainly not. In fact, we may see new acts in the Greek drama if a snap general election is called this fall or if the IMF refuses to support the deal.[4] However, Europe avoided a painful Greek exit and Greece has stepped back from the brink (for now).

On the U.S. side, earnings season really got going last week; despite some outsized performance from a few companies, earnings have gotten off to a lukewarm start, with early results suggesting that revenues may be weaker than what we saw in the first quarter. However, financials are showing strength and some standouts in the tech sector drove the NASDAQ to new record closes.[5] Shares from technology giant Google (GOOGL) skyrocketed on strong earnings, giving the stock the biggest one-day rally in history.[6]

In other news, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen testified before House and Senate committees last week, reiterating the Fed's commitment to raising rates later this year. Though Yellen is comfortable with the improvement shown by the labor market, she wants to be cautious about the timing of interest rate hikes to avoid stalling the economic recovery.[7]

Looking ahead, earnings season will continue heating up this week, giving analysts piles of new reports to digest. Investors will also take a look at more housing data to gauge how the sector looks this quarter. Though summer is often a sleepy time for markets, recent events are keeping traders close to home and we may see more volatility in the coming weeks.

ECONOMIC CALENDAR: 
Wednesday: Existing Home Sales, EIA Petroleum Status Report
Thursday: Jobless Claims
Friday: PMI Manufacturing Index Flash, New Home Sales




Notes: All index returns exclude reinvested dividends, and the 5-year and 10-year returns are annualized. Sources: Yahoo! Finance and Treasury.gov. International performance is represented by the MSCI EAFE Index. Corporate bond performance is represented by the DJCBP. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.

HEADLINES:

Jobless claims fall more than expected. After three weeks of increases, the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell. Summer jobs data tends to be volatile, but the drop is a sign of health for the labor market.[8]

Inflation rises in June. The cost of consumer goods rose for a fifth straight month in June, driven upward by rising gasoline and other costs. This increase supports the Federal Reserve's plan to raise interest rates this year.[9]

Housing starts rebound in June. Groundbreaking on new homes increased by 9.8% last month and new permits rose, boosting expectations of a housing market resurgence this year.[10]

Retail sales decline. U.S. retail sales unexpectedly slipped last month as Americans cut back on major purchases like autos and home goods. Though the decline could be seasonal, it raises worries that the economy might be lagging.[11]




"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." 

 - Thomas A. Edison

Family Chicken Taco Bar
A taco bar is a great way to let everyone customize his or her own taco.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken

8 taco shells (hard or soft, or mix and match)

1 cup mild salsa

1 cup mild, medium, or hot salsa

1 bottle Tabasco or other hot sauce

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 fresh lime, juiced

1 fresh lime, cut into wedges

1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped

1 cup shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

Kosher salt and black pepper


Directions:
  1. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat the mild salsa and juice from one lime. Incorporate the shredded chicken and heat until warmed through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Meanwhile, set up your taco station with the additional salsa, hot sauce, avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream.
  3. Divide the chicken between the taco shells and let each person create their own personalized taco.

Recipe adapted from RealSimple.com[12]

 

 


 

 

What Can You Find on IRS.gov?

Like many government agencies, the IRS is moving more and more services online. Here's what you can do online at IRS.gov:
  • Check on your refund using the "Where's My Refund?" tool.
  • Pay your taxes using IRS Direct Pay.
  • Apply for an Online Payment Agreement to set up a payment plan for taxes owed.
  • Check out the tax status of a charity.
  • Change your withholding using the IRS Withholding Calculator.
If you'd like help accessing IRS tools online, contact a qualified tax expert for assistance.

Tip courtesy of IRS.gov[13]
Fix Hooks and Slices

If you're struggling with hooks and slices, you need to work on controlling the curve of the golf ball. What determines the trajectory of the ball in flight is the position of the clubface at impact. An easy way to help yourself square the clubface properly is to put a tee through the back of your glove as a reference. The tee should be sticking out of the glove on the back of your hand.

Set up to the ball as your normally would and take a few practice swings, noting where the tee is pointing as you approach the ball. Ideally, you want to rotate your hands so that the tee is facing the target; when the tee faces your target, the clubface will be square at impact.
  • If you slice: Try rotating the tee slightly to the left of the target to close the clubface a bit more.
  • If you hook: Try keeping the tee a little more to the right at impact.
Practice this drill multiple times to dial in your swing and develop better control of the ball. 
 
Tip courtesy of Karen Nannen | Golf Tips Mag[14]
How to Cope With Hearing Loss

AARP says that over two-thirds of Americans 75 and older suffer from some form of hearing loss - and so do many younger people. If you're dealing with hearing loss and don't want to turn to hearing aids, try these tricks for more effective listening:
  • Face the speaker and look at his or her lips and facial expression to enhance your understanding of the conversation.
  • Pause before asking someone to repeat what he or she said; sometimes, a moment to think is all you need to understand.
  • If you think you missed a key detail, repeat what you already understand and ask for clarification.
  • Names and proper nouns can be especially tricky. If you're not clear, ask for the word to be spelled.
Tip courtesy of AARP[15]
Get Rid of Annoying Bugs

Pleasant summer evenings outside get annoying quickly when mosquitoes, gnats, and other airborne pests come calling. If bug spray or citronella candles aren't enough, try ridding your yard of bugs with these tips:
  • Get rid of standing water where mosquitoes lay eggs.
  • Attract bats (that can consume hundreds or thousands of insects per day) to your yard by building a bat house.
  • Try burning incense to keep bugs away from the table.
  • Plant bug-repelling plants like catnip, lavender, lemon balm, and rosemary in your garden.
Tip courtesy of Natural Living Ideas[16]
Share the Wealth of Knowledge!
 
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Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. 

 

Diversification does not guarantee profit nor is it guaranteed to protect assets. 

 

The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general. 

 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. The DJIA was invented by Charles Dow back in 1896. 

 

The Nasdaq Composite is an index of the common stocks and similar securities listed on the NASDAQ stock market and is considered a broad indicator of the performance of stocks of technology companies and growth companies.

 

The MSCI EAFE Index was created by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) that serves as a benchmark of the performance in major international equity markets as represented by 21 major MSCI indexes from Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia. 

 

The Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index is a 96-bond index designed to represent the market performance, on a total-return basis, of investment-grade bonds issued by leading U.S. companies. Bonds are equally weighted by maturity cell, industry sector, and the overall index. 

 

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices are the leading measures of U.S. residential real estate prices, tracking changes in the value of residential real estate. The index is made up of measures of real estate prices in 20 cities and weighted to produce the index. 

 

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