Wednesday's TSP scorecard

Stock funds climbed on Wednesday, Oct. 8, while the bond-style funds barely moved. The standout was the S Fund, which rose 1.16% to $101.8443. That is the only TSP fund above the 1% mark for the day.

The C Fund gained 0.58% to $107.7502. That matches the S&P 500's 0.58% move, which is what you'd expect since the C Fund tracks that index. The I Fund added 0.33% to $53.3199, tracking its MSCI ACWI ex-US ex-China benchmark. It has risen 0.92% over five days and sits at 27.16% for the year, the best of any individual fund.

The S Fund follows the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index, which covers the U.S. companies outside the S&P 500. Small and mid-sized names ran well ahead of the large caps on the day. Its five-day gain is 1.34%, and it is up 12.66% year to date.

The quiet funds

The F Fund slipped 0.00% to $20.7215, and the G Fund gained 0.01% to $19.3995. The F Fund follows the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate, so it moves with bond prices and yields. The G Fund simply earns a Treasury rate and doesn't swing with markets. Year to date, the F Fund is up 6.37% and the G Fund 3.42%.

L Funds: a blend, so a blend of results

The L Funds mix the five core funds, and their day reflected that mix. L Income, the most conservative, rose 0.16%. L 2030 gained 0.34%, L 2040 0.41%, and L 2050 0.47%. The long-dated funds, L 2055 through L 2075, all rose 0.56%, close to the C Fund's gain. The pattern is simple: the more a fund leans on stocks, the more it benefited from a day when stocks led.

What moved IRA index funds

The index data below is labeled as the prior session's close, but the moves line up closely with the TSP funds above.

The S&P 500 rose 0.58% to 6,753.72. The Nasdaq Composite did better, up 1.12% to 23,043.381, the second move above 1% in the data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat at 46,601.781. The gap between the Nasdaq and the Dow shows the gains were uneven rather than a broad lift across every large company.

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) rose 0.66% to $331.81, a bit ahead of the S&P 500 because it also holds smaller companies, which helped on the day. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) gained 0.39% to $74.53, in line with the I Fund. Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) was unchanged at $74.28. The 10-year Treasury yield edged up to 4.129, with a 0.05% change on the day, which fits with flat bond funds.

The data doesn't say why stocks rose, so I won't guess at a cause.

What it means for your plan

One good day is a data point, not a trend. A 1.16% gain in the S Fund is pleasant, but it can reverse just as quickly, and the five-day numbers (C Fund 0.65%, I Fund 0.92%) show a modest week so far.

If you hold a L Fund or a broad index fund, the funds are designed to handle the mix of stocks and bonds for you. Your contribution schedule, your time horizon and your comfort with risk matter far more than any single session. This recap is general information, not advice tailored to your situation. If you're unsure whether your allocation fits your goals, that's a conversation for a financial professional.

Check back tomorrow for the next close.