Tuesday's TSP close

Stocks did the work on Tuesday, January 6, while the bond-style funds mostly sat still. Four of the five core funds finished higher, and the one exception was only a rounding error below flat.

Stock funds

The S Fund was the standout, up 1.32% to $104.5276. That is the only move over 1% in the lineup. Because it tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index (mid-sized and smaller companies), a broad day for stocks tends to show up there in bigger numbers. Its 5-day gain is 2.64% and its year-to-date gain is 2.81%, the best of any fund so far in 2026.

The C Fund rose 0.63% to $111.1346. That tracks its benchmark, the S&P 500, which gained 0.62% in the index data below. Year to date, the C Fund is up 1.27%.

The I Fund added 0.53% to $57.0214. It follows the MSCI ACWI ex-US ex-China index, and the 0.35% gain in VXUS points the same direction. The bigger story is the 5-day number: 2.59%, which puts international stocks nearly level with the S Fund over the past week. Year to date it is up 1.77%.

Bond and government securities funds

The F Fund slipped 0.02% to $20.8992, following the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate. BND finished at 0.00%, so the two agree: a quiet day for bonds. The F Fund is down 0.15% over five days and up 0.19% for the year.

The G Fund gained 0.01% to $19.6015. It earns a Treasury-based rate, so it does not swing with the market. It is up 0.05% for the year.

Lifecycle funds

The L Funds are blends of the funds above, so their returns line up with how much stock each one holds. L Income gained 0.20%, L 2030 gained 0.40%, and L 2040 gained 0.49%. L 2050 rose 0.56%. L 2055 through L 2075 all gained 0.68% and show identical 5-day (1.55%) and year-to-date (1.63%) figures. The pattern is simple: the more stock in the mix, the bigger the gain on a day like this.

What moved IRA index funds and ETFs

The index figures below are listed as the prior session's close, so treat them as a close guide rather than an exact match to the TSP numbers.

  • S&P 500: 6,944.82, up 0.62%
  • Dow Jones Industrial Average: 49,462.08, up 0.99%
  • Nasdaq Composite: 23,547.17, up 0.65%
  • VTI (total U.S. market): $341.21, up 0.70%
  • VXUS (total international): $77.62, up 0.35%
  • BND (total bond market): $74.18, flat
  • 10-year Treasury yield: 4.179, up 0.34%

The gains were fairly even across the major indexes. The Dow came close to a 1% gain, and VTI's 0.70% reflects the broad market. Bonds did not take part. BND was unchanged, and the 10-year yield edged higher, a small move that fits with a flat day for bond funds.

What it means for your plan

One day rarely matters for a long-term plan, and a 1.32% gain in the S Fund is no exception. The numbers here are a snapshot of where things stood, not a signal that anything needs to change. If you hold a lifecycle fund, a target-date fund, or a broad index fund in an IRA, Tuesday's results are simply a small part of a much longer record. Checking in on your allocation at a regular interval, rather than after a strong or weak session, tends to serve people better. For personal questions, a qualified financial professional or your plan's official resources are the right place to start.