Stock Index, S&P Sector & Bond Index performance numbers, week ending 05/02/2008

[A HERETIC I AM]

                               STOCK INDEX PERFORMANCE

Index                              Week     YTD     12-mo.   2007    5-yr.
DOW JONES 30 (13058)               1.32%   -0.81%   1.19%    8.88%  11.24%
S&P 500 (1414)                     1.18%   -3.08%  -3.60%    5.49%  10.74%
NASDAQ 100 (1982)                  3.31%   -4.81%   5.39%   19.24%  12.18%
S&P 500/Citigroup Growth           0.64%   -3.22%   0.07%    9.25%   8.68%
S&P 500/Citigroup Value            1.76%   -2.93%  -7.10%    2.03%  12.85%
S&P MidCap 400/Citigroup Growth    0.20%   -0.78%   1.43%   13.55%  14.03%
S&P MidCap 400/Citigroup Value     1.51%   -0.05%  -6.84%    2.84%  16.23%
S&P SmallCap600/Citigroup Growth   0.40%   -2.72%  -5.76%    5.66%  14.56%
S&P SmallCap600/Citigroup Value    1.01%   -2.11% -12.80%   -5.19%  14.71%
MSCI EAFE                          1.22%   -2.76%  -0.25%   11.76%  21.07%
MSCI World (ex US)                 1.17%   -2.39%  -1.16%   13.04%  21.55%
MSCI World                         1.14%   -2.65%  -0.93%    9.69%  15.85%
MSCI Emerging Markets              1.64%   -2.46%  26.46%   39.23%  35.08%

Source: Bloomberg. Returns are total returns. The 5-yr. return is an average annual.
One-week,YTD, 12-mo. and 5-yr. performance returns calculated through 05/02/08.

                           S&P SECTOR PERFORMANCE

Index                       Week     YTD      12-mo.   2007    5-yr.
Consumer Discretionary      2.50%    1.17%  -14.74%  -13.21%   6.63%
Consumer Staples            0.62%   -1.93%    6.11%   14.36%  10.60%
Energy                     -1.82%    1.89%   26.06%   34.41%  29.14%
Financials                  2.47%   -4.38%  -23.58%  -18.52%   5.82%
Health Care                 0.84%   -8.49%  -10.16%    7.32%   4.27%
Industrials                 1.16%   -0.80%    3.69%   12.04%  13.69%
Information Technology      2.44%   -6.48%    3.02%   16.30%   9.98%
Materials                  -2.93%    2.89%   12.86%   22.53%  19.17%
Telecom Services            4.78%   -6.65%   -4.80%   11.88%  12.49%
Utilities                   1.60%   -3.10%   -0.07%   19.38%  19.60%

Source: Bloomberg. Returns are total returns. The 5-yr. return is an average annual.
One-week,YTD, 12-mo. and 5-yr. performance returns calculated through 05/02/08.

                              BOND INDEX PERFORMANCE

Index                                Week    YTD     12-mo.  2007   5-yr.
U.S. Treasury: Intermediate          0.05%   2.38%   9.32%   8.83%  3.88%
GNMA 30 Year                         0.73%   2.52%   7.57%   6.97%  4.71%
U.S. Aggregate                       0.65%   1.83%   6.79%   6.97%  4.37%
U.S. Corporate High Yield            1.24%   1.83%  -0.29%   1.88%  8.40%
U.S. Corporate Investment Grade      1.13%   0.69%   3.03%   4.56%  4.05%
Municipal Bond: Long Bond (22+)      0.40%  -1.34%  -2.05%   0.46%  4.67%
Global Aggregate                    -0.39%   3.83%  11.40%   9.48%  6.43%

Source: Lehman Bros. Returns include reinvested interest.The 5-yr.return is an average annual.
One-week,YTD, 12-mo. and 5-yr. performance returns calculated through 05/02/08.

                           KEY RATES

                          As of 05/02                

Fed Funds              2.00%       5-YR CD        3.46%
LIBOR (1-month)        2.83%       2-YR Note      2.44%
CPI - Headline         4.00%       5-YR Note      3.18%
CPI - Core             2.40%      10-YR  Note     3.85%
Money Market Accts.    2.37%      30-YR T-Bond    4.57%
Money Market Funds     2.12%      30-YR Mortgage  5.89%
6-mo. CD               2.75%      Prime Rate      5.00%
1-YR CD                3.01%      Bond Buyer 40   5.06%

Sources: Bankrate.com, iMoneyNet.com and Bloomberg

                           WEEKLY FUND FLOWS

                      Week of 04/30   Previous 
Equity Funds             -$3.6 B        $3.8 B
Including ETF activity, Domestic funds reporting net outflows of
-$4.404 B and Non-domestic funds reporting net inflows of $833 M.
Bond Funds                $1.6 B        $1.8 B
High Yield Corporate Bond funds report inflows ($209 Mil) for the fifth
consecutive week for the first time since 6/6/07.
Municipal Bond Funds      $478 M        $854 M
Money Markets         -$61.328 B      $1.166 B
This is the largest weekly net outflow from the sector on record, as more
funds report net outflows than any week since 12/23/03.

Source: AMG Data Services

FACTOIDS FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 28TH-MAY 2ND

Monday, April 28, 2008
The price of a barrel of oil closed Friday’s trading session at $118.52. In
2002, the average American spent $1,200 a year on energy goods and
services, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis and
SmartMoney.com. At the close of 2007, that amount had increased to
$2,100, or a gain of $900. However, over that same span, average
disposable income (personal income less personal current taxes) rose from
$27,200 a year to $34,236 (current dollars), or a gain of $7,036.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Moody’s announced that the global speculative-grade default rate stood at
1.5% in March, according to Financial Week. Moody's adjusted its outlook for
the year calling for the default rate to rise to 3-4%, down from its earlier
forecast of 5%. It cited stronger than expected corporate balance sheets for
the revision. The default rate on senior loans stood at 1.83% in March, up
from 1.50% in February, according to Standard & Poor's LCD.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The worst housing slump in 70 years has driven down the total market
capitalization of the homebuilders in the S&P 500 by 67%, according to
Bloomberg. Their cap value has shrunk from a high of $49.2 billion in
January 2006 to around $16 billion today. The 15 largest publicly traded
builders have written off $22.6 billion in land, joint ventures and other
expenses since the beginning of 2006, according to New York-based S&P
equity analyst Ken Leon.

Thursday, May 1, 2008
Brazil received an investment grade credit rating for the first time from
Standard & Poor’s on Wednesday, according to Bloomberg. S&P raised the
country’s long-term foreign currency debt rating to BBB- from BB+. Brazil’s
economy is expected to maintain an annual growth rate in the vicinity of
4.5%. The improved credit rating lowers funding costs and the risk premium
associated with investing in Brazil. The Bovespa surged 6.3% to 67,868.46
on the news. It is the top performing stock market (+6.23% in USD) so far in
2008 among the 20 largest.

Friday, May 2, 2008
To date, 68% of the companies that comprise the S&P 500 have reported
first quarter earnings. Overall, earnings are down 14% from a year ago,
according to S&P’s senior index analyst Howard Silverblatt. However,
remove the financial sector’s results and earnings are actually up 12.2%.
More than half of the non-financial companies reported 10% or higher
earnings growth. The top three sectors so far have been energy, health care
and technology.

The above was gathered by and posted from
FIRST TRUST ADVISORS L.P. • • APPROVED FOR PUBLIC USE • 05/05/08

Web link to this and all previous weekly information is here

[question everything]

1. This was the week that the DJIA touched 13,000 - first time since January

and I took the opportunity to transfer some funds from stocks to cash and bonds in my IRA account. Have been waiting for a chance to do so since... January.