The stock market rallied to new heights this week, as investors looked past coronavirus concerns and drew support from positive fundamentals. The Nasdaq Composite outperformed with a 4.0% weekly gain, followed by the S&P 500 (+3.2%), Dow Jones Industrial Average (+3.0%), and Russell 2000 (+2.7%).

Emerging markets stocks are in the red this year due to fears of the spreading coronavirus and geopolitical instability. The Chinese stock market, at the epicenter of the public health crisis, and emerging markets more broadly, have taken the brunt of the hit.

This update is a little behind - my apologies! The S&P 500 limped into the close last Friday as fears of a global contagion reverberated through financial markets and rekindled worries of a potential worldwide recession resulting in the worst week for the S&P in six months.

Global headlines have rattled markets over the last week. As of Monday's open, U.S. markets had pulled back about 2.5% (the market did rebound today, however) from recent peaks while interest rates had declined by about one-third of a percent from the start of the year.

This report features world capital market performance and a timeline of events for the 4th Quarter 2019. It begins with a global overview, then reports the returns of stock and bond asset classes in the US and international markets. We hope you find it helpful and informative.

A few weeks into 2020 and stock market volatility and global uncertainty have picked up steam. Geopolitical tensions with Iran are yet another source of investor concern, especially in the short run. This is nothing new of course - it just may feel especially pronounced to investors after the relative calm of the last several months.

Imagine it is early January 2010 and you are reading a review of the financial markets. Investors have been on a roller coaster over the past three years, living through the stress of the global financial crisis and market downturn of 2008 - 2009, then experiencing the recovery that began in March 2009 and is still going strong.

Stock market returns to winning ways as geopolitical tensions subside. The large-cap indices hit new record highs this week, as tensions in the Middle East were de-escalated and technology stocks continued to outperform.

The stock market ended a stellar 2019 on a quiet note, started 2020 with a bang, then succumbed to some profit taking after a U.S. airstrike escalated tensions in the Middle East. By week's end, the S&P 500 declined 0.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.04%, and the Russell 2000 declined 0.5%. The Nasdaq Composite, however, did increase 0.2%.

The start of a new year is a time to reflect and plan. For me, this means understanding what's driving the markets and economy, reviewing portfolios and financial goals, and reminding myself of the basic principles of investing.

As we head into the Christmas break, the S&P 500 reached another milestone, surpassing the 3200 level in a 1.7% advance this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (+1.1%) and Nasdaq Composite (+2.2%) also rallied further into record territory. The Russell 2000 kept pace with the Nasdaq with a solid 2.1% weekly gain.