TSP funds at the close

Stocks had a strong Wednesday. Every TSP fund finished in positive territory, and the stock funds did most of the work.

The I Fund led at +2.68%, closing at $63.6530. The C Fund rose 1.46% to $118.2739, and the S Fund gained 1.32% to $111.9585. The F Fund added 0.42% to $21.0010. The G Fund, as usual, barely moved: +0.01% to $19.8780.

Why the funds moved as they did

Each fund tracks a benchmark, so the day's results are mostly mechanical. The C Fund follows the S&P 500, which rose 1.46%. That matches the fund's gain exactly. The I Fund follows the MSCI ACWI ex-US ex-China index, and international stocks had the best day of the group. The S Fund tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index, which holds mid-sized and smaller U.S. companies. It rose 1.32%, a bit behind the C Fund on the day, though its 5-day gain of 4.57% is still ahead of the C Fund's 3.23%.

The F Fund follows the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate bond index. Its 0.42% gain lines up with the 10-year Treasury yield slipping 1.36% to 4.356%. When yields fall, existing bond prices tend to rise. The G Fund earns a Treasury-based rate and does not swing with markets.

Moves over 1%

Several funds cleared that mark: the I Fund (+2.68%), C Fund (+1.46%) and S Fund (+1.32%). So did most L Funds, which blend the five core funds. The L 2030 rose 1.07%, the L 2040 1.38% and the L 2050 1.56%. The L 2055 through L 2075 funds all gained 1.85%, since they hold the most stock exposure. The L Income Fund, the most conservative blend, rose 0.55%.

The I Fund also leads the year at +13.61%, followed by the S Fund at 10.12% and the C Fund at 7.77%. The F Fund is up 0.67% and the G Fund 1.46%.

What moved IRA index funds and ETFs

The index figures I have are labeled as the prior session close, but they track the TSP moves closely. The S&P 500 rose 1.46% to 7365.12, the Dow gained 1.24% to 49910.59, and the Nasdaq Composite led the major U.S. indexes with a 2.02% gain to 25838.939.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) rose 1.36% to $361.86, close to the S&P 500. The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) gained 2.65% to $85.62, nearly identical to the I Fund. The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) added 0.42% to $73.55, the same as the F Fund.

I can't point to a specific headline behind the move from this data. What the numbers show is a broad rally, strongest abroad and in tech-heavy names, with falling Treasury yields helping bonds.

What it means for your plan

A day like this feels good, but one session rarely changes a long-term plan. A 2.68% gain in the I Fund can fade as quickly as it arrived, and the same goes for losses. The 5-day and year-to-date numbers give a better sense of direction, and even those shift. If you hold an L Fund or a broad index fund, the mix of stocks and bonds is already doing its job. Check your allocation against your own timeline and goals on a schedule, not on a day like this one.

This recap is general information, not personal financial advice.