Week of February 8, 2016

Investors were hoping for a fresh start to February given the previous tumultuous four weeks. Overall, the results were mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.59% for the week and the S&P 500 was down 3.11%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ended the week down 5.44% as technology and biotech companies weighed on the index.

International markets didn't fare much better. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index ended the week down 5.0% and Japan's Nikkei 225 closed down 3.99%. Oil finished the week lower in uneven trading as investors wrestled with global growth concerns and a possible deal between the largest producers.

Government Bonds

The US 10-year Treasury bond hit 1.802%, the lowest in nearly 10 months last week. This marks a sizeable drop from the 2015 year-end yield of 2.273%. Fears of slowing global growth have driven investors into government bonds and, as one of the only central banks raising rates, US government bonds are very attractive. Indeed, nearly 25% of global government bonds outstanding have below-zero yields. As the demand increases, the price on bonds goes up, pulling yields down. Possibly exacerbating the issue, the US Treasury has announced that it will cut the issuance of Treasury bonds maturing in five or more years for the first quarter of 2015 by $18 billion. While the amount is relatively small compared to the $13 trillion in outstanding debt, the recent increase in demand and lower supply could push bond prices even higher. It is important to note that if yields drop sharply, investors that are taking negative bets on those bonds may be forced to buy to cover their bets. Known as a short squeeze, the rapid buying of bonds by short sellers covering their bets could move prices even higher and yields even lower.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, non-farm payrolls increased 151,000 in January, nudging the unemployment rate down to 4.9% but missing market expectations. Despite unemployment hitting the lowest level since February 2008, markets reacted negatively to the miss on Friday. The U-3 unemployment figure, the more widely reported number the government releases, measures the total number of those unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force. Many economists instead choose to focus on broader measures, such as the U-6 unemployment rate. The U-6 includes those covered in the U-3 measure but also those that are still looking for work but discouraged as well as those that are employed part-time for economic reasons. This figure was flat for January, holding still at 9.9%. On the bright side, there was a slight increase in wage growth which is something that economists welcome as it indicates that slack in the labor market may be tightening up and inflation expectations may rise.

Central Banks

Central banks across the world are indicating that additional monetary actions could be required to boost inflation and spark growth. The European Central Bank, the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan are just a few that have either hinted at or already taken additional stimulative actions. The Bank of Japan, for example, surprised the markets last week indicating that it would begin setting negative interest rates. While both the European Central Bank and the Bank of England have committed to keeping rates low, the European Central Bank has recently hinted that more stimulus may be needed to boost inflation in the Eurozone. A reasonable amount of inflation is generally a good sign for an economy. As consumers debate purchases, the thought about whether the good or service will be more expensive in the future may lead them to buy now rather than wait. Slowing inflation could signal a lack of economic growth as fewer goods and services are bought and sold. What central banks desperately want to avoid is a deflationary situation. Whereas consumers may buy now if they believe prices will be higher in the future, the opposite is true when there is deflation. When this occurs, consumers may delay their purchases with the belief that prices may continue to slide, further exacerbating an economic slowdown.

Fun Story of the Week

A man named Carl Reese set a new record for driving from Los Angeles to New York City, or 2,829 miles, in just under 39 hours. As remarkable as that may sound, the way he did it is what's especially noteworthy. Reese broke the record riding on a motorcycle, alone. Only five other people have completed such a feat with Reese doing it in the shortest amount of time. Preparation for such an undertaking involves painstaking planning and some more unorthodox training methods. Reese began working with a therapist to strengthen his back while taking cycling classes to condition his body for the extended bouts on a motorcycle seat. To break the record, Reese averaged 73 miles per hour and, occasionally, exceeded 110 miles per hour while taking just an hour-long nap and bringing easy-to-eat food like sandwiches and nuts. Known as the Cannonball Run, the less-than-legal "race" from Los Angeles to New York City began in 1914 with Irwin Baker who rode his Indian Motorcycle between the two cities in 11 days, setting the bar for those that have come after.

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Securities offered through Jacques Financial, LLC (JFLLC) a Broker-Dealer, Member FINRA and SIPC.Certain associates of Joseph W. Jacques, CPA, CFP^TM are registered representatives of JFLLC. Joseph W. Jacques, CPA, CFP^TM and JFLLC are affiliated. Investment advisory services are offered through Jacques Advisors, LLC an affiliate of JFLLC. Tax services are offered through Jacques & Associates Certified Public Accountants, LLC an affiliate of JFLLC.

* Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult with your financial advisor.  * 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.  * The Dow Jones Industrial Average is comprised of 30 stocks that are major factors in their industries and widely held by individuals and institutional investors.  * The NASDAQ Composite Index measures all NASDAQ domestic and non-U.S. based common stocks listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The market value, the last sale price multiplied by total shares outstanding, is calculated throughout the trading day, and is related to the total value of the Index.  * The Japan Nikkei 225 is a price-weighted index comprised of Japan's top 225 blue-chip companies on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.  * Stoxx Europe 600 is a group of 600 stocks that represent large, mid and small cap stocks across 18 countries in Europe.  * Indexes are unmanaged, statistical composites and their returns do not include payment of any sales charges or fees an investor would pay to purchase the securities they represent. Such costs would lower performance. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.  * Past performance does not guarantee future results.  * Charts and graphs should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any investment decision and are for general informational purposes only.  * Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.  * This newsletter was prepared by CWM, LLC.

Sources:

CNBC, February 2016, http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/05/but-whats-the-real-unemployment-rate.html

Wall Street Journal, February 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-rise-led-by-resources-companies-1454577097

Wall Street Journal, February 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-to-cut-back-issuance-of-longer-term-debt-1454546842

CNBC, February 2016, http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/02/us-oil-falls-for-3rd-session-on-rising-crude-stocks-oversupply.html

Wall Street Journal, February 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/dollar-weakens-amid-falling-yields-and-rising-growth-fears-1454517461

Wired, February 2016, http://www.wired.com/2016/02/how-to-race-a-motorcycle-across-the-us-in-a-record-39-hours-straight/

Financial Times, February 2016, https://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/18b79508-ca5e-11e5-a8ef-ea66e967dd44.html#axzz3z7l1ROMU

CNBC, February 2016, http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/01/oil-falls-on-china-economic-woes-rising-opec-supply.html

Wall Street Journal, February 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-government-bonds-hit-lowest-yield-in-9-months-1454424003?tesla=y%27