Thursday's TSP Scorecard

Stock funds had a strong day. Every TSP fund except G finished higher by more than a half percent, and the I and S Funds led the way.

The C Fund closed at $118.9254, up 1.75%. The S Fund rose 2.97% to $114.4059, and the I Fund matched it at +2.97%, finishing at $63.6598. The F Fund added 0.55% to $21.0045, and the G Fund edged up 0.01% to $19.9670.

Why the Funds Moved the Way They Did

Each TSP fund follows a benchmark, so the day's moves line up with the indexes.

The C Fund tracks the S&P 500, which also gained 1.75%. The two numbers match, as they should.

The S Fund follows the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index, which covers mid-sized and smaller companies. Its 2.97% gain beat the large-company move.

The I Fund follows MSCI ACWI ex-US ex-China. It also rose 2.97%, and the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) jumped 3.33%, a close cousin of that benchmark.

The F Fund follows the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate bond index. Its 0.55% gain is close to the 0.58% rise in the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND).

The G Fund pays a Treasury-based rate and doesn't swing with markets. A 0.01% gain is what it does on a typical day.

The Moves Over 1%

Four groups cleared that line:

  • I Fund and S Fund: +2.97% each, the biggest gains in the TSP.
  • C Fund: +1.75%.
  • L Funds: L 2030 rose 1.32%, and the gains grow with the target date. L 2050 gained 1.94%, and L 2055 through L 2075 all rose about 2.31%. Because the L Funds blend the individual funds, the ones with more stock exposure moved more. L Income gained 0.68%.

There were no drops on the day.

A Look at the Longer View

One strong session doesn't erase the recent slide. Over five days, the C Fund is still down 2.48%, the I Fund is down 1.62%, and the S Fund is down 1.03%. The L 2055 through L 2075 funds are each off about 1.97% for the week.

The year-to-date figures look better. The I Fund is up 13.62%, the S Fund 12.53%, and the C Fund 8.37%. The F Fund is up 0.69% and the G Fund 1.91%.

What Moved IRA Index Funds and ETFs

The index figures below are labeled as prior-session closes, and they line up closely with the TSP moves.

The S&P 500 gained 1.75% to 7,394.30. The Dow rose 1.86% to 50,848.75, and the Nasdaq Composite led the big three with a 2.54% gain to 25,809.66. The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) rose 1.75% to $364.30, in step with the S&P 500.

International stocks did best. VXUS rose 3.33% to $85.34, the largest move on the list.

Bonds also rose. BND gained 0.58% to $73.33 as the 10-Year Treasury yield fell 1.74% to 4.463%, a drop of roughly 8 basis points. When yields fall, existing bond prices tend to rise, which fits what BND and the F Fund did.

What It Means for Your Plan

A day like this feels good, but it is one data point. Most of it has just made up part of the previous week's dip, and one session rarely changes a long-term plan. If you're contributing every paycheck, you bought at slightly higher prices today and slightly lower ones earlier this week, and that evens out over the years.

The spread between the funds is a reminder that stocks, bonds and the G Fund behave differently. That is the reason many people hold a mix. This recap is general information, not personal advice, so check any changes against your own timeline and goals.