Key Updates on the Economy & Markets Stocks fell in the first quarter after two consecutive years of gains exceeding +20%. The year started off strong, with the S&P 500 reaching a new all-time high in mid-February. However, sentiment shifted late in February amid rising policy uncertainty in Washington, and the S&P 500 ended the…
READ MOREMonthly Market Summary The S&P 500 Index returned -1.3%, outperforming the Russell 2000 Index’s -5.2% return. Six of the eleven S&P 500 sectors traded higher, led by defensive sectors. Bonds traded higher, with the U.S. Bond Aggregate delivering a +2.2% total return. Corporate investment-grade bonds produced a +2.4% total return as Treasury yields declined, outperforming…
READ MOREMonthly Market Summary The S&P 500 Index returned +2.7%, marginally outperforming the Russell 2000 Index’s +2.5% return. Seven of the eleven S&P 500 sectors outperformed the index, as AI-related news led to a sell-off in Technology stocks. Corporate investment-grade bonds produced a +0.6% total return as Treasury yields edged lower but underperformed corporate high-yield’s +1.4%…
READ MOREQuarterly Snapshot Global equity markets, as measured by the MSCI ACWI Index, recorded modest losses in U.S. dollar terms over the fourth quarter, but still finished in positive territory for the 2024 calendar year. Strength in the U.S. could not offset downturns in other developed countries and emerging markets, which declined significantly in U.S. dollar…
READ MOREThis report features world capital market performance and a timeline of events for the past quarter. It begins with a global overview, then features the returns of stock and bond asset classes in the US and international markets. The report concludes with a quarterly topic regarding country debt and stock return. Click Here To View…
READ MOREKey Updates on the Economy & Markets There was no shortage of market-moving events in Q4. The stock market opened the quarter with a slow start in October, but the outcome of the presidential election triggered a broad rally in November. The rally faded as the year ended, although the S&P 500 trades only a…
READ MOREMonthly Market Summary The S&P 500 Index returned +6.0% but underperformed the Russell 2000 Index’s +11.1% return. All eleven S&P 500 sectors traded higher, with Consumer Discretionary and Financials gaining more than +10%. In contrast, defensive sectors, such as Health Care, Utilities, and Consumer Staples, underperformed the S&P 500. Corporate investment-grade bonds produced a +1.8%…
READ MOREMonthly Market Summary The S&P 500 Index returned -0.9%, outperforming the Russell 2000 Index’s -1.4% return. Three of the eleven S&P 500 sectors traded higher, with Financials and Communication Services both gaining more than +1.5%. The remaining eight sectors all traded lower by more than -1% during the month. Corporate investment-grade bonds produced a -3.2%…
READ MOREQuarterly Snapshot Global equity markets gained ground during the third quarter amid periods of volatility. Emerging markets outperformed their developed-market counterparts. Stocks rallied amid investors’ optimism leading up to the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) interest-rate cut in mid-September, as well as previous rate reductions by several other major central banks. Global fixed-income assets posted gains for…
READ MOREKey Updates on the Economy & Markets The major development in 3Q24 was the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates by -0.50%, the first rate cut of this cycle. It came as the Fed shifted its focus, with unemployment rising to a 33-month high and inflation moving back to target. In the equity market,…
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