While global equities declined approximately 3% in September, investors were still able to register gains in excess of 8% for the quarter. Over the past six months, U.S. stocks values have soared more than 30% … finishing their best two-quarter performance since 2009. After the steep first quarter plunge, stocks have clawed their way back to modest year-to-date gains.
August was yet another great month for stocks. Global equities advanced over 6% for the month and are now up 33% in just the past five months. The S&P 500 has returned nearly 58% since the market lows reached back on March 23. The technology heavy Nasdaq Composite has skyrocketed over 72% during the same period.
Global stocks advanced for the fourth straight month with returns of just over 5% during July. Since the 21% decline in the first quarter, global stocks have now rebounded more than 25%, marking their best four-month percentage gain in over 20 years.
The care for over 60% of nursing-home residents is subsidized by Medicaid, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Few private insurers cover long-term care because Medicaid is relatively easy to obtain. It is estimated that Medicaid “crowds out” 70% of long-term care insurance.
Global stocks had a very rough week. In fact, it was one of the worst weeks on record and included two of the sharpest one-day falls in history. By mid-week, stocks were 20% off of their recent highs – marking the official ending of the 11-year bull market run.
Stocks took it on the chin Monday over an oil price war in addition to ongoing coronavirus concerns. The Dow Industrials dropped 7.8%, oil prices were down by 25%, and the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond fell below 1% for the first time ever. It was the Dow’s biggest plunge since the Great Recession, and the oil price decline was the worst since the 1991 Gulf War.
Global stock markets fell 8% in February, as investors reacted to the economic and humanitarian concerns surrounding the coronavirus epidemic.
Stock values and Treasury yields both declined in January, mostly due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, which the World Health Organization has declared a public-health emergency of international concern. For the month, global stock declines of about one percent were offset by global bond returns of just over one percent. Oil prices tumbled and gold prices rose, as investors contemplated the potential scope of the virus’s economic impact.
Consider the following observations about China from John Lee, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and the U.S. Studies Centre in Sydney. (WSJ 12/15/19) • In every negotiation, pressure is relative, and the U.S. has more political and economic leverage than China.
Stock prices closed out the year with a surge, leaving investors with exceptionally high returns for the calendar year. Global stock indexes advanced over 3% in December and nearly 9% for the quarter … a welcome rebound for investors who suffered through last year’s decline. U.S. and international stocks ended the calendar year with returns of 31.01% and 21.51%, respectively. Declining yields also gave bond investors solid returns during 2019.
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