Unobstructed QUARTERLY INVESTMENT INSIGHT FROM HIGHTOWER LAS VEGAS. Quiz Time! close above 1,000 for the first time? headquartered in Nevada?

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1 AN Unobstructed SUMMER 2016 View QUARTERLY INVESTMENT INSIGHT FROM HIGHTOWER LAS VEGAS Quiz Time! Despite the S&P 500 reaching new all-time highs, the last few months have been difficult to stomach. Global economic growth concerns and the surprising Brexit vote have pushed markets around wildly. Yes, we all know markets come back and rather than hammer that point further into your head, we thought we would provide readers a chance to learn something new about the markets. On with the quiz! Let us know how you do. 1What city was home to the first U.S. stock exchange? 2Which current member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average was also an original member? 3What year did the Dow Jones Industrial Average close above 1,000 for the first time? 4As of June 30th 2016, how many stocks were in the S&P 500? 5Which company in the S&P 500 produces the most annual revenue? 6What is the largest publicly-traded company headquartered in Nevada? 7Who was the first U.S. president to visit the New York Stock Exchange while serving in office? 8As of mid-2016, what is the U.S. government s net profit/loss on the now infamous bailouts? 9On average, which year of a U.S. presidential term is best for the stock market? How much is a ton of money assuming 10your ton is measured in $20 bills? (answers on inside flap) LAS VEGAS

2 BELOW ARE THE ANSWERS TO THE STOCK MARKET QUIZ. WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE EXERCISE. 1. Philadelphia The Philadelphia Stock Exchange was established in 1790 at the Merchants Coffee House. The stock exchange was called Board of Brokers for its first 85 years, but officially changed its name to the Philadelphia Stock Exchange in Today, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange holds about 16% of U.S. trading market share. 2. General Electric (GE) The Dow Jones Industrial Average was established in 1896 and was made up of 12 stocks: American Cotton Oil, American Sugar, American Tobacco, Chicago Gas, Distilling & Cattle Feeding, General Electric, Laclede Gas, National Lead, North American, Tennessee Coal & Iron, U.S. Leather, and United States Rubber The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed the 1,000 mark in late As of mid-2016, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading at over 18, What many don t realize is that inclusion in the S&P 500 is not only about size. In order to be considered for inclusion a company must meet certain size, liquidity, and income thresholds. Additionally, some companies have multiple share classes and can end up having more than one security listed on the exchange. As of June 30th, 2016 the S&P 500 was made up of 505 stocks representing 498 parent companies. 5. Walmart Walmart is simply gigantic. The company s revenues topped $485 billion in 2015, which is more than double the next largest company by sales, Apple. Approximately 74% of Walmart s sales come from inside the U.S. while the other 26% is scattered across the globe. 6. Las Vegas Sands (LVS) It comes as no surprise that a gaming company is Nevada s largest company. Las Vegas Sands currently has a market capitalization of about $36 billion, making it by far the largest Nevadaheadquartered company. Interestingly, at the market s low in 2009, the value of Las Vegas Sands fell to under $1 billion. An incredible comeback indeed! 7. Ronald Reagan President Reagan became the first U.S. president in office to visit the NYSE on March 28th, His visit was a salute to the robust American expansion that was occurring at the time. 8. Approximately $69 Billion of Profit Banks received approximately $245 billion in aid, auto companies received almost $80 billion, and AIG received just under $68 billion. In addition, the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac totaled $187 billion and other bailouts totaled $40 billion. According to ProPublica, the government has earned approximately $299 billion in revenue from its investments in addition to about $390 billion that has been returned by bailedout companies. 9. Year Three of a Presidential Term When it comes to presidential terms, year three is the best for the market. According to Cornerstone Macro, the average return of the S&P 500 during the third year of a presidential cycle is more than double that of any other year. 10. Approximately $18.16 Million A $20 bill weighs about one gram and it takes about 454 bills to equal one pound. A U.S. short ton is 2,000 pounds, so it takes roughly 908,000 twenty dollar bills to equal one ton.

3 The Traffic Light H ow do we manage the funds entrusted to us by our clients? We utilize a topdown approach that starts with our view of where the world is headed. Each quarter, we complete an exhaustive study of many different economic indicators and trends. The Traffic Light is a quarterly summary of these macro-economic issues, and our opinion of them, that form the basis of our research and portfolio management process. While not everything in life can be easily categorized, in this piece we attempt to look for the hopeful (green light) signs in the world economy as well as the more worrisome (red light) issues and everything in between (yellow light). GREEN YELLOW RED Employment Growth Election Uncertainty China s Economic Woes Low Inflation Slowing Industrial Sector Weak Corporate Profits European Uncertainty Global Geopolitical Risks Energy Prices Stable Housing Market Stimulative Federal Budget HighTower Las Vegas is registered with HighTower Securities, LLC, member FINRA, MSRB and SIPC, and with HighTower Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor with the SEC. Securities are offered through HighTower Securities, LLC; advisory services are offered through HighTower Advisors, LLC. no guarantee that the investment process or the investment opportunities referenced herein will be profitable. Past performance is not indicative of current or future performance and is not a guarantee. The investment opportunities referenced herein may not be suitable for all investors. This is not an offer to buy or sell securities. No investment process is free of risk, and there is All data and information reference herein are from sources believed to be reliable.

4 At the mid-point of each year, we like to look back at what has occurred in an attempt to gain insight into the future. Over the past few months, the U.S. stock market broke out of its trading range and climbed to all-time highs but the other major markets around the globe have not. The Brits decision to leave the EU didn t help, as equity markets were quite surprised by the vote. Interest rates continue to be remarkably low while energy prices have rallied. Employment growth seemed to falter in May but bounced back strongly in June and July, and housing prices continue to ascend at a healthy rate. What can we divine from all of this data? We believe that the sluggish but lengthy economic recovery continues in the U.S. while the outlook in many other countries is less clear. However, the next several months should provide more clarity about the longer-term direction of both the economy and the markets. Key indicators that we will be watching include the election outcome, inflation, the employment picture and how Britain and Europe proceed after the Brexit vote. In this environment, we are focused on managing well-diversified portfolios with particular emphasis on high-quality technology and financial stocks as well as bonds with relatively short maturities. We also believe it is imperative to maintain exposure to international stocks, as global markets move in cycles and leadership shifts with time. Over the past three decades of caring for our clients, we have learned that attempting to time short-term market movements is futile, and we know that investment success is a function of time and a well-diversified portfolio. What are they talking about? The Pacts of Europe As Brexit moves from a vote to reality, the United Kingdom (UK) has a tangled mess to unwind. There are multiple pacts governing trade and economics in Europe. Luckily, the UK has never been a part of the Euro Zone (the 19 country group using the euro currency), so it will not need to change its base currency. However, the UK is in the 28-nation European Union, which operates as a single market with shared regulation. The European Union allows for the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people. Many people believe the UK is going to try to join the European Economic Area (EEA), which is similar to the EU, but allows for slightly more control over immigration. However, the EU may force the UK into a less advantageous pact in order to set an example. Needless to say, Brexit and the complicated nature of the European business environment will create plenty of headaches and uncertainty in the coming quarters. Many people believe the UK is going to try to join the European Economic Area (EEA), which is similar to the EU, but allows for slightly more control over immigration.

5 In the Media Mike on Channel 13 News Adam on the MoneyLife Show Check out our other publications for insight into our thoughts and process: ruminations: hightower-advisors/las-vegas/blog/ Thinking & Thriving: hightower-advisors/las-vegas/thinking-and-thriving/ The Stat Pack: What s New? After four great years with HighTower Las Vegas, Johnny has decided to retire from financial services and focus on his true passion, judging dog shows. As our Director of First Impressions, Johnny always went out of his way to make our visitors feel welcome and special. We will miss his warm personality and his contributions to the firm. While losing Johnny is unfortunate, we are thrilled to announce we have a new member of our client service team, Seth Crawley. He graduated from UNLV with a degree in economics and was a leader in the student government. He also was a member of the Rebel Investment Group, which is a student managed fund at the university. In his free time, Seth is an avid golfer, film buff, and actively involved in his church.