Brief
This report covers the 52nd and final week of the year 2023 spanning Friday, December 22nd, through Friday, December 29th, 2023. The week in numbers provides key statistics and data, economic reports, market performance and fun science stats for the week.
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Highlights
- 30yr Average Mortgage rates decline for 9 consecutive weeks, falling from 7.79% on Oct 26th to 6.61% Dec 28th (Chart)
- The US National Debt has increased 2.43 Trillion since the National Debt ceiling was suspended on June 1st, 2023 (Chart)
- US Average Regular Gas prices have risen 2.06% to $3.116 per gallon this week, ending a 13 week consecutive decline (Chart)
- US Stocks gained this week an average of 0.25%, ending the year 2023 up 24.29% on average
- The S&P500 Information Technology sector performed the best this year gaining 56.39%
- The S&P500 Utilities Sector performed the worst worst this year declining 10.20%
- Solana (SOL) was the best performing major crypto in 2023 gaining 966.4%
- Energy Commodities declined in 2023 with Crude Oil down 10.7% and Natural Gas down 43.3%
- Construction Material prices surged in 2023 with Lumber up 45.4% and Steel up 52.6%
- Agricultural Products were mixed in 2023, Cocoa prices surged 61.4% while Corn declined 30.6%
- The Treasury Yield Curve ends 2023 inverted with the 1 year rate 74 basis points higher than the 30 year (Chart)
- Cryptos end 2023 up with the total market cap up 107.5% or 854.8 billion
- NASA has confirmed and catalogued 325 exoplanets in 2023 (NASA Exoplanet Catalog)
View our Economic Indicators Dashboard for up-to-date economic stats.
Economic Reports
Monday, December 25th
- Markets closed in observance of Christmas
Tuesday, December 26th
- FHFA Housing Price Index for October increased 0.3%, less than prior month’s increase of 0.7%
Wednesday, December 27th
- No notable economic reports
Thursday, December 28th
- Initial Jobless Claims for last week increased by 12,000 to 218,000 new claims, reasonably more than the expected 207,000
- Continuing Jobless Claims increased by 14,000 to 1.88 million
Friday, December 29th
- Chicago PMI for December was 46.9, less than the expected 50.0 and less than prior month’s 55.8
Next Week’s Major Reports
- Construction Spending – Tuesday, January 2nd
- ISM Manufacturing Index – Wednesday, January 3rd
- JOLTS – Job Openings – Wednesday, January 3rd
- ADP Employment Change – Thursday, January 4th
- Nonfarm Payroll – Friday, January 5th
- Unemployment Rate – Friday, January 5th
- ISM Non-Manufacturing Index – Friday, January 5th
See more Economic News at Briefing.com or learn about each economic report in our knowledge hub.
US Stocks
| Index | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJIA | 37,689.54 | 303.57 | 0.81% | 37,371.83 | 37,778.85 | 13.70% | ||
| Nasdaq | 15,011.35 | 18.38 | 0.12% | 14,955.37 | 15,150.07 | 43.42% | ||
| S&P 500 | 4,769.83 | 15.20 | 0.32% | 4,751.99 | 4,793.30 | 24.23% | ||
| Wilshire 5000 | 47,320.56 | 119.43 | 0.25% | 47,320.56 | 47,526.51 | 24.29% |
| Index | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Services | 246.00 | -1.00 | -0.40% | 246.00 | 247.55 | 54.36% | ||
| Consumer Discretionary | 1,418.09 | -6.12 | -0.43% | 1,418.09 | 1,432.99 | 41.04% | ||
| Consumer Staples | 762.32 | 8.16 | 1.08% | 757.50 | 762.32 | -2.16% | ||
| Energy | 640.05 | -8.86 | -1.37% | 640.05 | 654.57 | -4.80% | ||
| Financials | 626.35 | 4.44 | 0.71% | 624.43 | 628.10 | 9.94% | ||
| Health Care | 1,590.36 | 15.09 | 0.96% | 1,578.69 | 1,590.36 | 0.30% | ||
| Industrials | 964.73 | 6.79 | 0.71% | 964.73 | 966.65 | 16.04% | ||
| Information Technology | 3,397.16 | 9.05 | 0.27% | 3,397.16 | 3,406.64 | 56.39% | ||
| Materials | 539.62 | -0.85 | -0.16% | 539.62 | 544.23 | 10.23% | ||
| Real Estate | 251.58 | 1.48 | 0.59% | 251.58 | 254.57 | 8.27% | ||
| Utilities | 321.92 | 3.64 | 1.14% | 319.96 | 322.21 | -10.20% |
Global Stocks
| Index | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK FTSE 100 | 7,733.24 | 35.73 | 0.46% | 7,697.51 | 7,759.74 | 3.78% | ||
| France CAC 40 | 7,543.18 | -25.64 | -0.34% | 7,530.93 | 7,603.27 | 16.52% | ||
| Spain IBEX 35 | 10,102.10 | -9.80 | -0.10% | 10,074.60 | 10,146.80 | 22.76% | ||
| Germany DAX 40 | 16,751.64 | 45.46 | 0.27% | 16,688.52 | 16,783.79 | 20.31% | ||
| India BSE Sensex | 72,240.26 | 1,133.30 | 1.59% | 71,012.08 | 72,484.34 | 18.74% | ||
| China Shanghai Comp | 2,974.93 | 60.15 | 2.06% | 2,890.17 | 2,975.03 | -3.70% | ||
| HK Hang Seng 50 | 17,047.39 | 706.98 | 4.33% | 16,439.26 | 17,095.12 | -13.82% | ||
| Japan Nikkei 225 | 33,464.17 | 295.12 | 0.89% | 33,181.36 | 33,755.75 | 28.24% | ||
| Australia ASX 200 | 7,590.80 | 89.20 | 1.19% | 7,509.30 | 7,614.30 | 7.84% |
Currencies
| Currency | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAD Canadian Dollar | 1.3247 | -0.0020 | -0.15% | 1.3178 | 1.3307 | -2.27% | ||
| MXN Mexican Peso | 16.9712 | -0.0057 | -0.03% | 16.8609 | 17.0036 | -12.91% | ||
| ARS Argentinian Peso | 808.40 | 3.60 | 0.45% | 796.42 | 808.87 | 357.40% | ||
| COP Colombian Peso | 3,875.34 | -23.69 | -0.61% | 3,807.01 | 3,953.47 | -20.07% | ||
| BRL Brazilian Real | 4.8525 | -0.0065 | -0.13% | 4.8025 | 4.8925 | -8.18% | ||
| GBP British Pound Sterling | 0.7854 | -0.0021 | -0.27% | 0.7795 | 0.7897 | -4.98% | ||
| EUR Euro | 0.9060 | -0.0020 | -0.22% | 0.8975 | 0.9096 | -3.04% | ||
| CHF Swiss Franc | 0.8417 | -0.0142 | -1.66% | 0.8332 | 0.8585 | -9.02% | ||
| CZK Czech Koruna | 22.3789 | 0.0518 | 0.23% | 22.1470 | 22.4474 | -0.84% | ||
| NOK Norwegian Krone | 10.1740 | -0.0286 | -0.28% | 10.0563 | 10.2754 | 3.72% | ||
| SEK Swedish Krona | 10.1029 | 0.1002 | 1.00% | 9.9064 | 10.1043 | -3.20% | ||
| RUB Russian Ruble | 89.25 | -2.88 | -3.13% | 88.48 | 92.50 | 21.02% | ||
| SAR Saudi Riyal | 3.7501 | -0.0010 | -0.03% | 3.7468 | 3.7539 | -0.21% | ||
| AED UAE Dirham | 3.6728 | 0.0001 | 0.00% | 3.6721 | 3.6731 | 0.01% | ||
| INR Indian Rupee | 83.19 | -0.15 | -0.18% | 82.79 | 83.37 | 0.53% | ||
| THB Thai Baht | 34.38 | -0.23 | -0.66% | 34.08 | 34.72 | -0.69% | ||
| SGD Singapore Dollar | 1.3196 | -0.0037 | -0.28% | 1.3157 | 1.3313 | -1.59% | ||
| MYR Malaysian Ringgit | 4.5950 | -0.0370 | -0.80% | 4.5765 | 4.6390 | 4.31% | ||
| CNH Chinese Yuan | 7.1273 | -0.0258 | -0.36% | 7.0876 | 7.1607 | 2.97% | ||
| HKD Hong Kong Dollar | 7.8099 | -0.0029 | -0.04% | 7.7919 | 7.8182 | 0.05% | ||
| KRW South Korean Won | 1,294.53 | -4.16 | -0.32% | 1,283.89 | 1,301.95 | 2.58% | ||
| JPY Japanese Yen | 141.03 | -1.43 | -1.00% | 140.26 | 142.85 | 7.56% | ||
| AUD Australian Dollar | 1.4674 | -0.0034 | -0.23% | 1.4535 | 1.4774 | 0.15% | ||
| NZD New Zealand Dollar | 1.5825 | -0.0058 | -0.37% | 1.5601 | 1.6077 | 0.49% |
* Rates are quoted as the amount of local currency to buy 1 US Dollar.
Commodities
- Average US Regular Gas Price – increased 6.3 cents or 2.06% this week to $3.116 a gallon. See more about US Regular Gas Prices.
- EIA Crude Oil Inventories – decreased by 6.91M barrels last week compared to prior week increase of 2.91M
- EIA Natural Gas Inventories – decreased 87 bcf last week compared to prior week decrease of 87 bcf (billion cubic feet)
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 2,071.80 | 2.70 | 0.13% | 2,065.10 | 2,098.20 | 13.45% | ||
| Silver | 24.09 | -0.48 | -1.95% | 23.76 | 24.74 | 0.19% | ||
| Platinum | 1,009.20 | 27.40 | 2.79% | 975.10 | 1,031.00 | -6.81% | ||
| Palladium | 1,109.30 | -114.40 | -9.35% | 1,101.50 | 1,227.50 | -38.30% |
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Oil | 71.65 | -1.91 | -2.60% | 71.25 | 76.18 | -10.73% | ||
| Natural Gas | 2.3270 | -0.2830 | -10.84% | 2.2660 | 2.7220 | -43.30% | ||
| Gasoline | 2.1063 | -0.0352 | -1.64% | 2.0950 | 2.2021 | -15.01% |
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumber | 543.50 | -14.50 | -2.60% | 541.50 | 560.00 | 45.44% | ||
| Steel (HRC) | 1,135.00 | 9.00 | 0.80% | 1,130.00 | 1,155.00 | 52.55% | ||
| Copper | 3.8905 | -0.0145 | -0.37% | 3.8780 | 3.9740 | 2.10% |
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | 4.7125 | -0.0175 | -0.37% | 4.7050 | 4.8100 | -30.55% | ||
| Wheat | 6.2800 | 0.1175 | 1.91% | 6.1150 | 6.3975 | -20.71% | ||
| Soybeans | 12.9800 | -0.0825 | -0.63% | 12.9675 | 13.2750 | -14.83% | ||
| Coffee | 1.8830 | -0.0450 | -2.33% | 1.8565 | 2.0135 | 12.55% | ||
| Sugar | 0.2058 | -0.0004 | -0.19% | 0.2003 | 0.2191 | 2.69% | ||
| Cocoa | 4,196.00 | -115.00 | -2.67% | 4,193.00 | 4,343.00 | 61.38% | ||
| Cotton | 0.8100 | 0.0124 | 1.55% | 0.7951 | 0.8175 | -2.84% |
| Commodity | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 1.6850 | -0.0002 | -0.01% | 1.6735 | 1.7080 | 6.71% | ||
| Lean Hogs | 0.6798 | -0.0338 | -4.73% | 0.6765 | 0.7090 | -22.49% | ||
| Feeder Cattle | 2.2230 | -0.0045 | -0.20% | 2.1990 | 2.2595 | 21.01% |
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 – decreased this week to 6.61% from 6.67% last week. Learn more about 30 year mortgage rates.
| Maturity | Week Close | Week Change | Low | Week Range | High | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 1 Month | 5.398% | 0.057% | 5.330% | 5.424% | ||
| US 3 Month | 5.353% | -0.024% | 5.340% | 5.445% | ||
| US 1 Year | 4.779% | -0.078% | 4.763% | 4.881% | ||
| US 5 Year | 3.849% | -0.023% | 3.783% | 3.905% | ||
| US 10 Year | 3.881% | -0.016% | 3.784% | 3.919% | ||
| US 30 Year | 4.036% | -0.016% | 3.938% | 4.060% |
Cryptocurrencies
- Total Crypto Market Cap – decreased 0.05% or -0.9B this week to 1,650B
| Rank* | Crypto | Week Close | Week Change | Change % | Low | Week Range | High | YTD Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BTC | 42,057.41 | -1,891.48 | -4.30% | 41,683.16 | 43,975.78 | 154.16% | ||
| 2 | ETH | 2,304.59 | -29.99 | -1.28% | 2,196.65 | 2,447.60 | 92.57% | ||
| 3 | BNB | 313.25 | 41.77 | 15.39% | 262.31 | 337.07 | 27.16% | ||
| 4 | SOL | 106.21 | 7.90 | 8.03% | 93.36 | 125.39 | 966.36% | ||
| 5 | XRP | 0.6242 | -0.0024 | -0.38% | 0.6069 | 0.6543 | 83.65% | ||
| 6 | ADA | 0.6082 | -0.0162 | -2.60% | 0.5784 | 0.6751 | 146.75% | ||
| 7 | AVAX | 40.23 | -5.29 | -11.62% | 38.80 | 49.72 | 269.13% | ||
| 8 | DOGE | 0.0910 | -0.0043 | -4.55% | 0.0883 | 0.0951 | 29.50% | ||
| 9 | TRX | 0.1061 | 0.0008 | 0.77% | 0.1025 | 0.1085 | 94.74% | ||
| 10 | DOT | 8.2936 | 0.3154 | 3.95% | 7.6106 | 9.5814 | 92.43% |
* Rank is based on market cap of non-stablecoins.
Fascinating Stats
US National Debt
The US National Debt increased 42.3 billion (Wednesday, December 20th to Wednesday, December 27th), to a total debt of $33,896,083,378,248.05 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.
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276.3
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305.6
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253.2
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532.2
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179.1
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17.4
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| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Chart data updated through October 11th, 2023
Space Weather – Solar Sunspots
The number of solar Sunspots (magnetic storms on the surface of the sun facing Earth) has decreased this week to 83 from 123 last week, the sun has had 0 spotless days in 2023. We are about 2 years into a 5 year solar cycle known as Solar Maximum where sunspots are in constant very high numbers. See more about Sunspots and space weather.
Exoplanet Discoveries
NASA has cataloged 0 new exoplanets this week, the total has remained at 5,566 confirmed and catalogued Exoplanets across 4,278 confirmed Planetary Systems. 325 Exoplanets have been confirmed this year so far and there are 10,059 Exoplanet Candidates being evaluated for confirmation. Learn about all of the Exoplanets from NASA’s Exoplanet Catalog.