Market Newsletters

Jawboning on trade issues by the Administration in the early part of March, combined with Tech-related woes in the latter part of the month, shook investors’ confidence and prompted them to close the first quarter of the year on a negative note.

In February, the S&P’s 500 dropped 3.69% while the Russell 2000 sunk 3.87%. The damage was a bit more pronounced internationally as a result of the appreciation of the USD against major currencies. The S&P’s EPAC BMI, our reference index for international developed markets, went down 4.59% while the MSCI EM (emerging markets) index dropped 4.61%.

In January the S&P’s 500 rose a stunning 5.64% on a total return basis (dividends included) while the Russell 2000 was up 2.68 %. Internationally, the …

In December the S&P’s 500 rose 1.11% on a total return basis (dividends included) and the Russell 2000 dropped -.40%. Internationally, the S&P Epac BMI of developed economies rose 1.66% in spite of a lackluster performance from Eurozone equities that struggled under a rising Euro.

In November the S&P’s 500 rose another 3.07% on a total return basis (dividends included) and the Russell 2000 added 2.90%. The progression was not even, as shown in the chart below.

October was another good month for equities worldwide. The S&P’s 500 rose a solid 2.33% on a total return basis (dividends included) and the Russell 2000 a more modest .84%.

October was another good month for equities worldwide. The S&P’s 500 rose a solid 2.33% on a total return basis (dividends included) and the Russell 2000 a more modest .84%.

September was a good month for equities worldwide, with the exception of emerging equities that struggled with the rise of the USD during that period.

August brought heightened volatility to equity markets. Thin trading, continued White House dysfunction and geopolitics all contributed their bit.

July was another good month for equities worldwide. The S&P’s 500 total return index rose by 2.05% and the Small Cap Russell 2000 rose .74%.

In June the S&P’s 500 total return index rose by .62% and the Russell Mid-Cap index by 1.00%. The Small Cap Russell 2000 rose a more impressive 3.46% but remains well behind its mid-cap and large-cap counterparts on a Year To Date (YTD) basis, as illustrated in our chart below.

In May the S&P’s 500 total return index rose by 1.41% and the Russell Mid-Cap index by .91%. Somewhat more surprisingly, the Small Cap Russell 2000 dropped by 2.03%.