The fourth quarter capped another strong year for the financial markets. In particular, the S&P 500 returned a stunning 28.7% for 2021, nearly tripling its long-term historical average, and for only the second time in history, the index reached a new high in each and every month. A large part of the increase happened in the fourth quarter, with the S&P gaining 11% compared to 2.1%, 2.7%, and 1.3% for small caps, developed..
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This year so far has been stellar for U.S. equity investors, as the S&P 500 was positive for seven consecutive months through August. September ended the winning streak as it closed with a whimper. This is not uncommon though: September is historically the worst month for stock performance on average since the index’s inception in 1928. From the S&P 500’s all-time high on September 2, the drawdown through the final day of the month..
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Midway through a robust recovery, we pause to evaluate how we got here and where we are headed. With an uptick in COVID-19 cases, things are a bit more uncertain today than they were even just a few weeks ago, but nevertheless, growth has definitely been the prevailing sentiment in 2021.
The U.S. stock market and economy led the global growth parade in the first half of 2021. The U.S. economy essentially went from a depression to a..
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