Articles

Market Commentary: 3rd Quarter 2024

Stocks climbed across the board in the third quarter.  Large domestic companies, measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, were up 5.5%.  Smaller US firms, as measured by the Russell 2000, surged 8.9%, while the Nasdaq Composite, reflecting tech companies, advanced 2.6%.  Foreign firms, generally speaking, climbed with the Dow...

Market Commentary: 2nd Quarter 2024

Stock market returns were mixed in the second quarter.  The Standard & Poor’s 500, a measure of large domestic companies, was up 3.9%.  Smaller US companies, however, as measured by the Russell 2000, were off 3.6%.  The Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology companies, gained a solid 8.3%.  Foreign companies,...

Market Commentary: 1st Quarter 2024

The stock market continued to climb in the first quarter.  Large domestic companies, measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, gained 10.2% while smaller US companies, measured by the Russell 2000, advanced 4.8%.  The Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology stocks, was up 9.1%.  Foreign firms, generally speaking, also climbed...

Market Commentary: 4th Quarter 2023

Markets surged to wrap up 2023 with gains across the board.  Q4 saw large domestic companies, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, gain 11.2%.  The Russell 2000, reflecting smaller domestic firms, was up 13.6%.  Coincidentally, the Nasdaq Composite, with a major weighting of technology stocks, was also up...

Market Commentary: 3rd Quarter 2023

The stock market reversed course in the third quarter with declines across all major indices.  Large domestic companies, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, dropped 3.6%, while the Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in tech stocks, fell 4.1%.  The Russell 2000, reflecting smaller US firms, was off 5.5%.  Foreign...

Market Commentary: 2nd Quarter 2023

Stocks continued to climb in the second quarter.  The Standard & Poor’s 500, a measure of large domestic companies, gained 8.3%, while smaller domestic firms as measured by the Russell 2000 advanced 4.8%.  Foreign markets, generally speaking, rose more modestly as the Dow Jones World Index (ex US) was up...

Market Commentary: 1st Quarter 2023

Stocks were up across the board in the first quarter.  Large domestic companies, measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, gained 7.0%.  The Russell 2000, reflecting smaller US stocks, advanced 2.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology companies, was up a whopping 16.8%.  Foreign firms, generally speaking, moved...

Market Commentary: 4th Quarter 2022

The stock market was mostly positive in the fourth quarter.  Large domestic companies, measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, rose 7.1%. The Russell 2000, composed of smaller US companies, gained 5.8%.  The Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology companies, did contract a slight 1.0%, while foreign firms, generally speaking,...

Market Commentary: 3rd Quarter 2022

Stocks continued to falter in the third quarter.  Large domestic companies, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, fell 5.3%.  The Russell 2000, reflecting smaller domestic stocks, dropped 2.5%.  The Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in tech firms, was off 4.1% while foreign shares, generally speaking, declined with the Dow...

Market Commentary: 2nd Quarter 2022

The broad market decline continued in the second quarter, with stocks retreating across the board.  Large domestic stocks, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500, dropped 16.4%.  The Russell 2000, a gauge of smaller domestic companies, declined 17.5% and the Nasdaq Composite, heavily weighted in technology names, dropped 22.4%. ...