BI-WEEKLY UPDATE - JUNE 1,  2020

Congratulations on 20 Years!
 
We are proud to celebrate Scott Blattel's 20 th year at Blattel & Associates. Please join us in congratulating Scott on his milestone anniversary.

Optimism for Re-Opening

In This Issue
The Week on Wall Street
The shortened week, which began with a powerful two-day rally of trading, was enough to drive the markets into another week of solid gains.
Rising Optimism
Returning from Memorial Day weekend, stocks surged on rising optimism over economic re-opening, declines in new infections, and progress in the development of a vaccine.
 
Stocks continued their march higher, lifted by signs that the White House and Congress may be working together to put together another stimulus package. But the momentum lost steam, in part due to news of China's vote to override Hong Kong's autonomy. Comments by President Trump on the last day of trading eased concerns.[4][5]
 
Rotation in Leadership
The recovery from the March lows has been powered by large-cap growth stocks, especially the mega-cap technology names. However, this week saw new sectors leading the market higher, notably the financials and industrials, while the technology and health care sectors lagged.
 
This leadership rotation is being referred to by some market commentators as the "re-opening trade." If these sectors are to remain leaders, it may hinge on a steady economic recovery and escaping a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
 

Blattel News
Office Notes
Tax Deadline. Don't forget that 2020's Tax Day is July 15. Most custodians have posted your tax documents on their client access sites. Please contact our office if you need assistance in finding your 1099s.

Helping You Remotely. Although St. Charles County is starting to open back up, the governor has recommended that, anybody who can still work from home, do so. Blattel & Associates is continuing to work from home at this time. We are available by phone or email to help our clients. Do not hesitate to contact us.
 
All Virtual Meetings . We are still meeting with clients during this time. As we have previously announced, we have changed all of our in-office meetings to phone calls for the foreseeable future.

Movie Contest
Congratulations to David & Maureen on winning last week's movie matching contest. They submitted four correct answers and won the drawing for the Amazon gift card. For those of you who are curious, here are the correct matches.
  • Sarah's favorite movie is Twister
  • Adam's favorite movie is Avatar
  • Erin's favorite movie is Ever After
  • Scott K.'s favorite movie is Saving Private Ryan
  • Kate's favorite movie is Pride & Prejudice
  • Scott's favorite movie is Star Wars
  • Bob's favorite movie is To Kill a Mockingbird (All of you got this one right!) 
Thank you to everyone who participated.


"A surplus of effort could overcome a deficit of confidence."
 
- Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Salad Rolls

Serves 8
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 8-oz. package rice vermicelli
     
  • 8 oz. shrimp; cooked, peeled, and cut in half, lengthwise
     
  • 8 rice wrappers (6½ in.)
     
  • 1 carrot, finely grated
     
  • 1 cup lettuce, shredded
     
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
     
  • Water
Directions:
  1. Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan.
     
  2. Remove saucepan from heat and add vermicelli to water. Let it soak for 3 to 5 minutes.
     
  3. Drain and rinse with cold water.
     
  4. Dip one rice wrapper in a large bowl of hot water to soften.
     
  5. Lay the wrapper flat, then place noodles, shrimp, carrot, lettuce, and basil in the center.
     
  6. Tightly wrap ingredients.
     
  7. Repeat with remaining ingredients and wrappers.
     
  8. Serve with chili sauce. 

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com[6]



June Is Men's Health Month

Today, June 1, marks the first day of Men's Health Month. This health initiative was created by a Congressional health education program in 1994, to further awareness of the importance of early intervention and prevention of common diseases that can affect men during all stages of life. Just keep in mind: a conversation with your doctor is always the best way to address any health concerns you may have; this tip isn't a substitute for medical advice.
 
Throughout the month, community outreach events, like health fairs, screenings, and educational seminars, bring awareness to concerns like prostate cancer, heart disease, and hypertension, among others. Information about healthy living, exercise, diet, smoking cessation, and other general wellness tips may be shared as well.
 
Look out for men's health activities and functions in your area. You might just learn something new!
 
 
Tip adapted from MensHealthMonth.org[9]

Share the Wealth of Knowledge!
 
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Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values.
 
Diversification does not guarantee profit nor is it guaranteed to protect assets.
 
International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors.

The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is an unmanaged group of securities considered to be representative of the stock market in general.
 
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. The DJIA was invented by Charles Dow back in 1896.
 
The Nasdaq Composite is an index of the common stocks and similar securities listed on the NASDAQ stock market and is considered a broad indicator of the performance of stocks of technology companies and growth companies.
 
The MSCI EAFE Index was created by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) that serves as a benchmark of the performance in major international equity markets as represented by 21 major MSCI indices from Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia.

The 10-year Treasury Note represents debt owed by the United States Treasury to the public. Since the U.S. Government is seen as a risk-free borrower, investors use the 10-year Treasury Note as a benchmark for the long-term bond market.
 
Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance.
 
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
 
You cannot invest directly in an index.
 
Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
 
Fixed income investments are subject to various risks including changes in interest rates, credit quality, inflation risk, market valuations, prepayments, corporate events, tax ramifications and other factors.
 
These are the views of Platinum Advisor Strategies, LLC, and not necessarily those of the named representative,
Broker dealer or Investment Advisor and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named representative nor the named Broker dealer or Investment Advisor gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your financial professional for further information.
 
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The market indexes discussed are unmanaged and generally considered representative of their respective markets. Individuals cannot directly invest in unmanaged indexes. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The return and principal value of investments will fluctuate as market conditions change. When sold, investments may be worth more or less than their original cost.

 
[4] CNBC.com, May 28, 2020

[5] FoxBusiness.com, May 29, 2020

[6] AllRecipes.com, May 29, 2020

[9] MensHealthMonth.org, May 29, 2020

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