TSP funds at the close

Every TSP fund finished higher on Tuesday, but the size of the gains varied a lot.

The S Fund (small and mid-size companies) led at +3.15%, closing at $101.1937. The C Fund (S&P 500) rose 1.40% to $106.0214, and the I Fund (international stocks) added 1.16% to $52.4666. Those three are the only individual funds that moved more than 1%.

The bond and government funds were quieter. The F Fund (U.S. bonds) gained 0.27% to $20.8504. The G Fund, which pays a Treasury-based rate and does not swing with markets, ticked up 0.05% to $19.4132.

Why the spike in the S Fund

A 3.15% day in the S Fund is the biggest move on the board. It tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index, which holds everything in the U.S. market outside the S&P 500. Small and mid-size stocks tend to move in bigger swings than large companies, so a jump like this is not unheard of. Still, the five-day number is -0.67%, which means one strong day only recovered part of what came before it. The C Fund tells a similar story: +1.40% on the day, -1.41% over five days. The I Fund is down 1.93% over five days, the weakest stretch of the stock funds.

L Funds

The L Funds blend the five core funds, so their results follow how much stock each one holds. L 2055 through L 2070 are the most stock-heavy and all gained 1.53%. L 2050 rose 1.28%, L 2045 1.20%, L 2040 1.13%, L 2035 1.04%, and L 2030 0.92%. L Income, the most conservative, gained 0.46%. The pattern is straightforward: more stock exposure meant a bigger gain on a strong day, and the same ordering applies on weak days.

One oddity: L 2075 shows a year-to-date return of 7.06%, far below the 17.7% for its neighbors. I would check that figure on the TSP site before reading anything into it.

What moved IRA holdings

The index and ETF figures supplied are labeled as the prior session's close, so they do not line up neatly with the TSP gains above. They show a quiet, mixed picture.

  • The S&P 500 slipped 0.16% to 6,644.31.
  • The Dow rose 0.44% to 46,270.46.
  • The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.76% to 22,521.70, so the Dow's gain and the Nasdaq's loss pulled in opposite directions.
  • VTI (total U.S. stock market) was nearly flat at -0.03%, closing at $326.83.
  • VXUS (total international) was flat at +0.01%, closing at $73.28.
  • BND (total bond market) gained 0.15% to $74.75.

The 10-year Treasury yield fell 0.72% to 4.022%, which is about 3 basis points. Bond prices rise when yields fall, and that fits with BND and the F Fund both finishing higher. The data here does not say why yields eased or why stocks moved as they did, so I will not guess.

What it means for your plan

A 3% day in the S Fund makes for a nice number, but one day rarely changes the outcome of a long-term plan. The five-day figures are still negative for most stock funds, a reminder that gains and losses tend to arrive in clusters and often offset one another. Year to date, the I Fund is at 25.13%, the C Fund at 14.34%, and the S Fund at 11.94%. The G Fund is at 3.49%, which is its own kind of steady.

If your allocation still matches your timeline and your comfort with ups and downs, a day like this does not call for any action. This recap is general information, not personal advice. Your own situation, goals and time horizon are what matter.