Brief
This report covers the 31st week of the year spanning Friday, July 28th, through Friday, August 4th, 2023.
- The National Debt has increased 1.13 Trillion since the National Debt ceiling was suspended on June 1st, 2023
- Average US Regular Gasoline prices increased this week by 16 cents to 3.76 a gallon
- The price of Crude Oil is up for the 6th consecutive week gaining $13.66 or 19.75% per barrel at 82.82
- S&P500 Communication Services becomes the best performing sector YTD up 40.6%
- Solana (SOL) is the best performing major crypto YTD up 129.0%
- NASA has confirmed and cataloged 13 new exoplanets this week
Economic Reports
Monday, July 31st
- No notable economic reports
Tuesday, August 1st
- ISM Manufacturing Index for July was 46.4%, less than the expected 46.8% and more than last month’s 46.0%
- JOLTS – Job Openings for June was 9.582M, less than last month’s 9.616M
Wednesday, August 2nd
- ADP Employment Change for July increased 324K, more than the expected increase of 185K and less than last month’s increase of 455K
Thursday, August 3rd
- Initial Jobless Claims for last week increased by 6,000 to 227,000 new claims, less than the expected 233,000
- Continuing Jobless Claims increased by 21,000 to 1.70 million
- Productivity-Preliminary for Q2 increased 3.7%, more than the expected increase of 1.7% and more than last quarter’s decrease of 1.2%
- Unit Labor Costs-Preliminary for Q2 increased 1.6%, less than the expected increase of 2.7% and less than last quarter’s increase of 3.3%
- ISM Non-Manufacturing Index for July was 52.7%, less than the expected 53.0% and less than last month’s 53.9%
Friday, August 4th
- Nonfarm Payrolls for July increased 187K, less than the expected increase of 200K and more than last month’s increase of 185K
- Nonfarm Private Payrolls for July increased 172K, less than the expected increase of 175K and more than last month’s increase of 128K
- Avg. Hourly Earnings for July increased 0.4%, more than the expected increase of 0.3% but matched last month’s increase of 0.4%
- Unemployment Rate for July was 3.5%, less than the expected 3.6% but matched last month’s 3.6%
- Average Workweek for July was 34.3, less than the expected 34.4 and less than last month’s 34.4
Next Week’s Major Reports
- CPI – Thursday, August 10th
- PPI – Friday, August 11th
- Preliminary July Univ. of Michigan Consumer Sentiment – Friday, August 11th
See more Economic News at Briefing.com or learn about each economic report in our knowledge hub.
US Stocks
The US stock market had a negative week, with an average decrease of 2.16%. The S&P500 Energy Sector was the only sector to post a gain for the week increasing 1.15%. Utilities was the biggest decliner, dropping 4.66% followed closely by Information Technology dropping 4.14%.
| Index | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJIA | 35,065.62 | -393.67 | -1.11% | 35,033.76 | 35,679.13 | 5.79% | ||
| Nasdaq | 13,909.24 | -407.42 | -2.85% | 13,881.35 | 14,370.91 | 32.89% | ||
| S&P 500 | 4,478.03 | -104.20 | -2.27% | 4,474.55 | 4,594.22 | 16.63% | ||
| Wilshire 5000 | 44,439.47 | -980.49 | -2.16% | 44,439.47 | 45,550.54 | 16.72% |
| Index | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Services | 224.13 | -6.58 | -2.85% | 224.13 | 230.64 | 40.64% | ||
| Consumer Discretionary | 1,351.90 | -3.09 | -0.23% | 1,322.05 | 1,362.52 | 34.45% | ||
| Consumer Staples | 782.82 | -15.16 | -1.90% | 782.82 | 794.32 | 0.47% | ||
| Energy | 663.38 | 7.52 | 1.15% | 656.96 | 668.98 | -1.33% | ||
| Financials | 580.02 | -4.88 | -0.83% | 580.02 | 587.50 | 1.80% | ||
| Health Care | 1,541.39 | -32.96 | -2.09% | 1,541.39 | 1,561.85 | -2.78% | ||
| Industrials | 915.16 | -16.72 | -1.79% | 915.16 | 936.97 | 10.07% | ||
| Information Technology | 3,032.02 | -131.07 | -4.14% | 3,032.02 | 3,169.90 | 39.58% | ||
| Materials | 525.84 | -10.87 | -2.03% | 525.84 | 539.48 | 7.41% | ||
| Real Estate | 232.57 | -5.24 | -2.20% | 232.57 | 239.48 | 0.09% | ||
| Utilities | 324.65 | -15.86 | -4.66% | 324.65 | 340.62 | -9.44% |
Global Stocks
| Index | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK FTSE 100 | 7,564.37 | -129.90 | -1.69% | 7,437.88 | 7,722.92 | 1.51% | ||
| France CAC 40 | 7,315.07 | -161.40 | -2.16% | 7,213.87 | 7,526.05 | 13.00% | ||
| Spain IBEX 35 | 9,368.38 | -316.72 | -3.27% | 9,244.30 | 9,688.30 | 13.84% | ||
| Germany DAX 40 | 15,951.86 | -517.89 | -3.14% | 15,784.52 | 16,528.97 | 14.57% | ||
| India BSE Sensex | 65,721.25 | -438.95 | -0.66% | 64,963.08 | 66,658.12 | 8.02% | ||
| China Shanghai Comp | 3,288.08 | 12.15 | 0.37% | 3,247.27 | 3,322.13 | 6.44% | ||
| HK Hang Seng 50 | 19,539.46 | -377.10 | -1.89% | 19,369.06 | 20,361.03 | -1.22% | ||
| Japan Nikkei 225 | 32,192.75 | -566.48 | -1.73% | 31,934.35 | 33,488.77 | 23.37% | ||
| Australia ASX 200 | 7,325.30 | -78.30 | -1.06% | 7,285.50 | 7,470.10 | 4.07% |
Currencies
| Currency | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAD Canadian Dollar | 1.3372 | 0.0122 | 0.92% | 1.3152 | 1.3395 | -1.34% | ||
| MXN Mexican Peso | 17.0797 | 0.3900 | 2.34% | 16.6692 | 17.4274 | -12.36% | ||
| COP Colombian Peso | 4,104.47 | 186.47 | 4.76% | 3,874.76 | 4,172.45 | -15.35% | ||
| BRL Brazilian Real | 4.8734 | 0.1420 | 3.00% | 4.7133 | 4.9201 | -7.78% | ||
| GBP British Pound Sterling | 0.7844 | 0.0061 | 0.78% | 0.7765 | 0.7924 | -5.11% | ||
| EUR Euro | 0.9082 | 0.0006 | 0.07% | 0.9052 | 0.9164 | -2.80% | ||
| CHF Swiss Franc | 0.8730 | 0.0115 | 1.33% | 0.8666 | 0.8806 | -5.63% | ||
| CZK Czech Koruna | 22.0437 | 0.2722 | 1.25% | 21.5920 | 22.2126 | -2.32% | ||
| NOK Norwegian Krone | 10.1507 | -0.0526 | -0.52% | 10.0801 | 10.3309 | 3.48% | ||
| SEK Swedish Krona | 10.5805 | 0.0310 | 0.29% | 10.4758 | 10.7563 | 1.37% | ||
| RUB Russian Ruble | 95.88 | 3.82 | 4.15% | 90.42 | 97.41 | 30.01% | ||
| SAR Saudi Riyal | 3.7516 | 0.0006 | 0.02% | 3.7468 | 3.7574 | -0.17% | ||
| AED UAE Dirham | 3.6730 | 0.0000 | 0.00% | 3.6727 | 3.6732 | 0.01% | ||
| INR Indian Rupee | 82.68 | 0.38 | 0.46% | 82.20 | 82.90 | -0.08% | ||
| THB Thai Baht | 34.70 | 0.51 | 1.49% | 34.09 | 34.82 | 0.23% | ||
| SGD Singapore Dollar | 1.3427 | 0.0115 | 0.86% | 1.3277 | 1.3449 | 0.13% | ||
| MYR Malaysian Ringgit | 4.5550 | 0.0005 | 0.01% | 4.4974 | 4.5645 | 3.41% | ||
| CNH Chinese Yuan | 7.1873 | 0.0342 | 0.48% | 7.1328 | 7.2128 | 3.84% | ||
| HKD Hong Kong Dollar | 7.8114 | 0.0133 | 0.17% | 7.7914 | 7.8120 | 0.07% | ||
| KRW South Korean Won | 1,303.62 | 30.34 | 2.38% | 1,269.92 | 1,312.26 | 3.30% | ||
| JPY Japanese Yen | 141.73 | 0.58 | 0.41% | 140.70 | 143.89 | 8.09% | ||
| AUD Australian Dollar | 1.5221 | 0.0179 | 1.19% | 1.4837 | 1.5352 | 3.88% | ||
| NZD New Zealand Dollar | 1.6426 | 0.0203 | 1.25% | 1.6062 | 1.6502 | 4.31% |
* Rates are quoted as the amount of local currency to buy 1 US Dollar.
Commodities
- Average US Regular Gas Price – increased 16.1 cents or 4.48% this week to $3.757 a gallon. See more about US Regular Gas Prices.
- EIA Crude Oil Inventories – decreased by 17.1M barrels last week compared to prior week decrease of 0.60M
- EIA Natural Gas Inventories – increased 14 bcf last week compared to prior week increase of 16 bcf (billion cubic feet)
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1,976.10 | 15.70 | 0.80% | 1,954.50 | 2,010.90 | 8.21% | ||
| Silver | 23.72 | -0.78 | -3.18% | 23.28 | 24.99 | -1.35% | ||
| Platinum | 928.50 | -15.20 | -1.61% | 914.10 | 967.30 | -14.26% | ||
| Palladium | 1,264.60 | 25.00 | 2.02% | 1,220.50 | 1,286.00 | -29.67% |
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Oil | 82.82 | 2.24 | 2.78% | 78.69 | 83.24 | 3.19% | ||
| Natural Gas | 2.5770 | -0.0610 | -2.31% | 2.4570 | 2.6930 | -37.21% | ||
| Gasoline | 2.7831 | -0.1045 | -3.62% | 2.7131 | 2.9196 | 12.30% |
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumber | 495.50 | -21.00 | -4.07% | 495.00 | 517.00 | 32.59% | ||
| Steel (HRC) | 803.00 | -21.00 | -2.55% | 795.00 | 832.00 | 7.93% | ||
| Copper | 3.8675 | -0.0590 | -1.50% | 3.8205 | 4.0240 | 1.50% |
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | 4.9725 | -0.3300 | -6.22% | 4.9300 | 5.2450 | -26.71% | ||
| Wheat | 6.3300 | -0.7125 | -10.12% | 6.2625 | 7.0300 | -20.08% | ||
| Soybeans | 13.3325 | -0.4925 | -3.56% | 13.1500 | 13.7550 | -12.52% | ||
| Coffee | 1.6135 | 0.0345 | 2.18% | 1.5790 | 1.6830 | -3.56% | ||
| Sugar | 0.2369 | -0.0023 | -0.96% | 0.2357 | 0.2461 | 18.21% | ||
| Cocoa | 3,510.00 | -15.00 | -0.43% | 3,484.00 | 3,582.00 | 35.00% | ||
| Cotton | 0.8429 | 0.0003 | 0.04% | 0.8325 | 0.8631 | 1.10% |
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 1.8290 | 0.0330 | 1.84% | 1.7793 | 1.8373 | 15.83% | ||
| Lean Hogs | 0.8308 | -0.0195 | -2.29% | 0.8103 | 0.8675 | -5.27% | ||
| Feeder Cattle | 2.4953 | 0.0393 | 1.60% | 2.4415 | 2.4998 | 35.83% |
Interest Rates
- Federal Funds Effective Rate – has remained the same this week at 5.33% with the target rate rage increasing to 5.25-5.50% since the July 26th, 2023 increase of 25 basis points. See more about the Federal Funds Rate.
- 30 Year Average US Mortgage Rates – increased this week to 6.90% from 6.81% last week. Learn more about 30 year mortgage rates.
- MBA Mortgage Applications Index – decreased by 3.0% this week compared to the prior week decrease of 1.8%
| Maturity | Week Close | Week Change | Low | Week Range | High | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 1 Month | 5.350% | 0.003% | 5.318% | 5.383% | ||
| US 3 Month | 5.407% | -0.023% | 5.384% | 5.437% | ||
| US 1 Year | 5.336% | -0.046% | 5.331% | 5.414% | ||
| US 5 Year | 4.141% | -0.031% | 4.132% | 4.349% | ||
| US 10 Year | 4.046% | 0.092% | 3.927% | 4.210% | ||
| US 30 Year | 4.200% | 0.187% | 3.987% | 4.325% |
Cryptocurrencies
- Total Crypto Market Cap – decreased 2.22% or 26.24B this week to 1,158B
| Rank* | Crypto | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BTC | 29,113.38 | -205.24 | -0.70% | 28,778.21 | 29,989.70 | 75.94% | ||
| 2 | ETH | 1,831.85 | -44.17 | -2.35% | 1,822.78 | 1,889.65 | 53.07% | ||
| 3 | BNB | 241.60 | -0.39 | -0.16% | 238.24 | 248.38 | -1.93% | ||
| 4 | XRP | 0.6369 | -0.0767 | -10.74% | 0.6313 | 0.7304 | 87.39% | ||
| 5 | DOGE | 0.0734 | -0.0039 | -5.03% | 0.0728 | 0.0812 | 4.48% | ||
| 6 | ADA | 0.2934 | -0.0164 | -5.29% | 0.2906 | 0.3178 | 19.02% | ||
| 7 | SOL | 22.80 | -2.08 | -8.34% | 22.52 | 25.42 | 128.96% | ||
| 8 | TRX | 0.0773 | -0.0081 | -9.48% | 0.0763 | 0.0857 | 41.88% | ||
| 9 | LTC | 82.40 | -9.22 | -10.06% | 81.69 | 95.83 | 17.71% | ||
| 10 | MATIC | 0.6648 | -0.0456 | -6.42% | 0.6606 | 0.7226 | -12.36% |
* Rank is based on market cap of non-stablecoins.
Other Fascinating Stats
The US National Debt decreased 35.5 billion (Wednesday July 26th to Wednesday August 2nd), to a total debt of $32,599,351,354,449.13 according to the Treasury Department. The National Debt Ceiling of 31.381 trillion has been suspended as of June 1st, 2023 until January 1st, 2025. See the Debt to the Penny.
The number of solar Sunspots (magnetic storms on the surface of the sun facing Earth) has decreased this week to 124 from 154 last week, the sun has had 0 spotless days in 2023. See more about Sunspots and space weather.
NASA has cataloged 13 new exoplanets this week, the total has increased to 5,483 confirmed and catalogued Exoplanets across 4,207 confirmed Planetary Systems. 242 Exoplanets have been confirmed this year so far and there are 9,770 Exoplanet Candidates being evaluated for confirmation. Learn about all of the Exoplanets from NASA’s Exoplanet Catalog.