Stocks had a great January! The S&P 500 and Dow posted their best January since 1987 and 1989, respectively. Cyclical sectors (communication services, industrials, energy) lead, while defensives (healthcare, utilities) lagged. The good news is that when the S&P 500 gains at least 7% in January, there can be continued follow through, with the final 11 months of the year gaining 11% on average and up five out of six times going back to 1950. (LPL)
 
Earnings season nearing the halfway mark. With 46% of S&P 500 Index companies having reported, fourth quarter earnings growth is tracking to a 15.5% year-over-year increase. Upside has been driven by the energy and industrials sectors, while results for financials and technology have come up short thus far. This week is another busy one with 97 S&P 500 companies slated to report fourth quarter results. (LPL)
 
Vancouver Washington was picked ahead of Seattle and Portland to build the next generation of Army landing craft. Vigor Industrial will create 300 new jobs at the facility. The Army contract is valued at $1 billion. (Oregonian)
 
With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor I am Troy Reinhart.