
[Chart courtesy of MarketWatch.com]
1. Moving the Markets
August was a quiet month for the U.S. stock market, with volatility at very low levels. The S&P 500 did not see a day with a change of 1% in either direction the entire month. However, a six-month winning streak was snapped in August for the Dow and, as you may know, we could be in for a bumpy ride this month due to the fact that September has historically been one of the worst months for blue-chip stocks.
Stocks did post a slight gain today ahead though ahead of a key jobs report on deck for Friday that could give great insight regarding the Fed’s next move on interest rates. On Wednesday, payroll processor ADP reported that private employers created 177,000 new jobs last month, topping forecasts by 2,000. That solid number could suggest a strong government employment report tomorrow with very likely the record being set for new part-time bartender and waitress jobs.
U.S. auto sales cooled off in August, which might be signaling that the industry may not break last year’s all-time record, despite a strong first half of the year. The auto industry has been hovering near 2015’s record pace of 17.5 million vehicles, fueled by allegedly strong employment, low gasoline prices and a solid housing market. Or, you could be more realistic and give credit to strong auto sales thanks to not only record subprime financing but also for periods up to 10 years.
And in big box retail, Walmart (WMT) announced today that it plans to shed about 7,000 store accounting and invoicing positions as the company moves to automate those processes. The company confirmed though that workers will be offered positions elsewhere in their stores.
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