Will the secular bull market continue? Although there is no clear movement right now in stocks, Liz Ann Sonders has analyzed the current economic indicators and advises investors about what to expect. One clear sign of an improved economy is the The Leading Economic Index, which has risen for the third consecutive month. Advisor Perspectives covers the story and explains which sectors are driving the index up. According to the Conference Board, consumers are showing more confidence in a number of areas, including the job market. Our final article puts the numbers in context.

Schwab Market Perspective: Mounting Momentum? – Liz Ann Sounders, Chief Investment Officer at Schwab points out that, “although the stock market remains sluggish, with the potential for a correction elevated, the U.S. economy appears to be improving.  There is probably no great rush to get into the stock market at this point, but maintaining a steady investing discipline in the face of what we think is a continuing secular bull market is key.” http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/nn/articles/Market-Perspective?requrl=/public/schwab/resource_center/expert_insight&cmp=em-QYD

Leading Economic Index (LEI) Increased In April– “The LEI rose for the third consecutive month, driven largely by improving housing and financial market  conditions,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, Economist at The Conference Board. “This latest report suggests the  economy will continue to expand, and may even pick up steam through the second half of the year.”
http://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/Conference-Board-Leading-Economic-Index.php

Consumer Confidence Improves In May– Consumer confidence in May improved to 83.0…the second highest reading since the Great Recession.  Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board says, “Consumer confidence improved slightly in May, as consumers assessed current conditions, in particular the labor market, more favorably… In fact, the percentage of consumers expecting their incomes to grow over the next six months is the highest since December 2007.”
http://advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/Conference-Board-Consumer-Confidence-Index.php

 

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John R. Day, Bill Ennis, Stephanie Davidson and Matt Heller

Disclosure – The articles mentioned in Mid Week with Day & Ennis are for information and educational purposes only. They represent a sample of the numerous articles that the firm reads each week to stay current on financial and economic topics. The articles are linked to websites separate from the Day & Ennis website. The opinions expressed in these articles are the opinions of the author and not Day & Ennis. This is not an offer to buy or sell any security. Day & Ennis is under no obligation to update any of the information in these articles. We cannot attest to the accuracy of the data in the articles.