Shortened Recap for the Week

By David B. Armstrong, CFA | Dec 20, 2010 | Weekly Market Commentary

Hey, it is the Monday before Christmas; it’s really hard to find a movie quote that relates to, “I’m way behind on my shopping.”  We know most people are still wrapping up the year this week while feeling a bit like the holidays crept up on them.  We can relate.  However, we do have a few nuggets to pass along.

First, enjoy your Holiday Season and have a great week…and good luck with your shopping.

The equity markets were winners again last week.  We saw some news that business sentiment increased and there was some good news out of Washington on the final extension of the Bush tax rates, something the markets were glad to see.  Everyone likes clarity, including Mr. Wall Street.

The equity markets we track in this report were all up for the week.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) gained 0.72% last week to finish at 11,492, the S&P 500 Index gained 0.28% to end at 1,244, and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.21% to finish at 2,643.  The Russell 2000, which measures smaller capitalization stocks, rose 0.35% to finish the week at 780.

We are still have a positive outlook on the equity markets and are over-weight the small and mid cap space and the technology sector.  We are still looking at investments in areas OTHER THAN bonds for fixed income allocations.

Call us for help or if you have any questions.

Securities and Financial Planning offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor.  Member FINRA/SIPC

**Standard Compliance Disclosures
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 investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing.  All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.  All indices are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly.  Stock investing involves risk including loss of principal.  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 Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index (S&P 500) is an unmanaged 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 NASDAQ Composite Index measures all 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 Russell 2000 Small Stock Index is an unmanaged index generally representative of the 2000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index.  The Russell 2000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

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David B. Armstrong, CFA

President & Co-Founder

Dave got into the industry when he discovered his passion for finance in his mid-20’s. He’s a combat veteran and served as an officer in the United States Marines Corps on both active duty and in the reserves, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. While serving on active duty, Dave was unable to spend money on deployments, so he became a self-taught investor. Along with a few bucks cash as a bouncer, his investing performance grew to be good....

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