Market Commentary: Fourth Quarter

Market Commentary Q4 2019

Happy New Year! Global markets finished the year strong. Quarter 4 brought the S&P 500 Index up 9.07% for a 31.49% YTD return. Small companies represented by the Russell 2000 Index rose 9.94% for the quarter to put them up over 25% YTD. International stocks represented by the iShares MSCI EAFE Index also increased 8.17%…

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Hindsight is 20/20. Foresight Isn’t.

The year 2019 served up many examples of the unpredictability of markets. Interest rates that US policy makers expected to rise fell instead. American consumers’ confidence weakened as the year began,1 and news headlines broadcast fears of an economic slowdown. But investors who moved onto the sidelines may have missed the gains in the US…

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Timing Isn’t Everything

Over the course of the holidays, it’s not unusual for the stock market to be a topic of conversation at a holiday party or other social gathering. A friend or relative might ask about which investments are good at the moment. The lure of getting into the stock market at the right time or avoiding the…

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How Markets Work and the FAANG Mentality

Is the market getting by with a little help from the FAANGs? And does the performance of Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google stand out historically? Investors may be surprised that it’s actually common for a subset of stocks to drive a sizable portion of broader returns. To learn more, download our free issue brief,…

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Market Commentary: Third Quarter

Market Commentary Q3 2019

Through the month of September, the global markets have had a strong year. Quarter 3 brought the S&P 500 Index up 1.7% for a 20.55% YTD return. Small companies represented by the Russell 2000 Index cooled off a little bit with a -2.4% for the quarter but are still up over 14% YTD. International stocks…

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Recent Market Volatility

Recent Market Volatility

After a period of relative calm in the stock market, investors have experienced increased volatility in recent days. While market volatility can create anxiety for some, reacting emotionally and changing long-term investment strategies in response to short-term declines could prove more harmful than helpful. To learn more, download our free issue brief, Recent Market Volatility.

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Pursuing a Better Investment Experience

Pursuing a Better Investment Experience

Whether you’ve been investing for decades or are just getting started, at some point on your investment journey you’ll likely have questions regarding how to improve your odds of investing success. Petersen Hastings is here to help. Learn more about the 10 key principles, using data and reasoning, that may help improve your odds of…

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