TSP funds at the close

Stock funds rose across the board on Friday, October 9, while the bond and government funds barely moved.

The S Fund, which follows the Dow Jones U.S. Completion index of small and mid-size companies, led at +0.79% to $113.7780. The I Fund, tracking international stocks outside the U.S. and China, gained 0.68% to $64.2966. The C Fund, which mirrors the S&P 500, added 0.61% to $126.0804.

The F Fund slipped 0.02% to $20.3997. It follows the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate bond index, and a move that small is basically a flat day. The G Fund, which pays a Treasury-based rate and doesn't fluctuate with markets, rose 0.01% to $20.2831.

No TSP fund moved more than 1% in a single day, so there is no spike or drop to flag. Over five days, the C Fund's 1.17% gain is the only move past that line. The I Fund is down 0.87% over the same stretch and the S Fund is off 0.11%, so Friday's gains partly offset a softer week for both.

L Funds

The lifecycle funds blend the individual funds, so their results land between the pieces. L 2030 gained 0.35%, L 2040 gained 0.47% and L 2050 gained 0.54%. The funds from L 2055 through L 2075 all rose 0.65%, which fits the pattern: the further out the date, the more the fund leans on stocks. That 0.65% sits inside the range of the C (+0.61%), I (+0.68%) and S (+0.79%) results.

L Income, the most conservative of the group, rose 0.19% as its bond and G Fund holdings held back the gain.

Year to date, the C Fund is up 14.88% and the I Fund 14.76%. The S Fund is at 11.91%, the G Fund at 3.53% and the F Fund still at -2.21%.

What moved IRA index funds and ETFs

One note on timing: the index and ETF figures below are from the prior session's close, so they won't line up perfectly with the TSP numbers above. The direction was similar.

The S&P 500 gained 0.59% to 7,811.54. The Dow added 0.83% to 51,654.95 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.64% to 27,366.17.

Those moves carried through to the broad ETFs many IRAs hold. The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) rose 0.63% to $381.94. The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) did a little better at +0.86% to $84.82.

The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) was unchanged at $70.22. The 10-year Treasury yield ticked up 0.25% to 5.244%. A higher yield pushes bond prices down, but this change was too small to dent BND, which matches the F Fund's near-zero day. A yield above 5% does keep bonds competitive with cash for savers, though that's background rather than a trading signal.

What it means for your plan

A day like this is mostly noise. Stocks rose less than 1%, bonds sat still, and the G Fund did what it always does. The five-day numbers show how quickly the picture can flip, with the I and S Funds up on Friday but still lagging for the week.

For anyone saving for retirement over decades, the pattern that matters is your contributions, your mix and how much time you have, not a single session. If you're comfortable with your allocation, today's figures give no reason to rethink it. If you aren't, that's a question for a calm weekend review or a qualified advisor, not for a Friday close.

This recap is general information, not advice for your situation.