How Stock Market Concentration Impacts Investors
The stock market’s strong performance since March has obviously not been shared by all parts of the market. Some sectors, notably technology-driven ones, have fared way better than those directly impacted by the pandemic and social distancing. What’s more, the outsized contribution of tech stocks resulted in a brief period of volatility in September.
3rd Quarter 2020 Market Review
This 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.
October 9, 2020 Weekly Market Recap
Technology stocks performed extremely well this week, but not as well as many small cap/value/cyclical stocks, as investors felt more confident in a recovery. The Russell 2000 rallied 6.4%, comfortably outpacing the S&P 500 (+3.8%), Nasdaq Composite (+4.6%), and Dow Jones Industrial Average (+3.3%).
Two Economic Recoveries
Recent economic data show that we may be near the halfway point in the recovery from the COVID-19 shutdown. However, there is evidence that the second half may take much longer and be more difficult. This is because there are really two recoveries underway: many areas which were not directly affected by the public health crisis bounced back rapidly while others may need years to fully recover.
October 2, 2020 Weekly Market Recap
The S&P 500 (+1.5%) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (+1.9%) snapped four-week losing streaks this week, and the Nasdaq Composite performed comparably with a 1.5% gain. The real winner, however, was the Russell 2000 with a 4.4% gain.
Elections, Elections, and More Elections
Yes, more election stuff. With the stage set for the presidential election in November, it’s natural to be concerned about the impact of politics on the stock market and economy. After all, the 2016 presidential election resulted in large market swings and the political climate is even more polarized today.
September 18, 2020 Weekly Market Recap
It was another bad week for the mega-cap stocks, but some rotation into cyclical and value stocks did limit the index declines. The S&P 500 (-0.6%) and Nasdaq Composite (-0.6%) both lost 0.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (-0.03%) finished just below its flat line. The Russell 2000 rose 2.6% in a catch-up trade.
Elections Matter, But Not So Much To Your Investments
Election years can be fraught with uncertainty as developments surrounding the candidates, their platforms, and their predicted effects on the economy and markets dominate the news. But should you let this stream of political information influence how you and I manage your investment portfolio?
Can the Economy Recover Without More Government Stimulus?
After last week’s failed Senate vote on a new pandemic stimulus bill, negotiations between the White House and Congress appear to have stalled. Although the stock market has fully rebounded and the economy is recovering from the nationwide COVID-19 shutdown, not all consumers and businesses have fared equally well.
Is There Another Tech Bubble Bursting?
I could certainly be wrong, but I don’t think there is a “Tech Bubble” nor is it bursting. The stock market has hit a serious rough patch with high-flying tech stocks facing pressure over the last few days. This is the first period of major volatility after the bear market crash earlier this year.
September 4, 2020 Weekly Market Recap
The market’s August momentum bled into September to start the week, as the S&P 500 notched its 22nd record close of the year, but profit taking in the mega-caps and growth stocks ultimately took the major indices sharply lower by week’s end.
August 28, 2020 Weekly Market Recap
This was the fifth straight weekly gain for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, which ended the week higher by 3.3% and 3.4%, respectively. Both set new record highs while the Dow Jones Industrial Average turned positive for the year with a 2.6% gain. The Russell 2000 increased 1.7%.
The Real Lesson of 2020: Fortitude
As long-term investors we understand that financial markets can behave unpredictably over the course of days, weeks and months. How an investor reacts to this short-term uncertainty can play a significant role in whether they achieve their financial objectives.
August 21, 2020 Weekly Market Recap
The S&P 500 added 0.7% this week while the Nasdaq continued its show of strength, rallying 2.7%. The Dow underperformed, ending the week unchanged.
5 Stocks To Rule Them All
Yes, the title and image are a corny reference to Lord of the Rings. So, despite the majority (about two-thirds) of the companies in the S&P 500 producing negative returns in 2020, the index overall has a positive year-to-date return. This is due, in part, to its top five holdings: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Facebook.
