January 2025
Observations
December painted a mixed picture across U.S. financial markets with varied performance among major indices. The S&P 500 declined by 2.50%, while the small-cap Russell 2000 suffered a sharp 8.40% loss and nearly gave back all of November’s huge gains.
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
December 2024
Observations
The momentum in stocks showed no signs of slowing down, as November delivered a strong rally across U.S. equity markets, characterized by broad participation. The S&P 500 rose 5.73%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 6.21%.
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
November 2024
Observations
Major U.S. equity markets experienced some consolidation in October after several months of upward momentum. The S&P 500 broke a streak of five consecutive monthly gains, declining 0.99%.
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
October 2024
Observations
In September 2024, U.S. equities continued their upward trajectory, with major indices closing the month higher, extending a strong year-to-date performance. As has been the case for much of the year, the Nasdaq led the way with a 2.68% increase, while the...
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
September 2024
Observations
August 2024 marked another month of gains for the major U.S. indices, with the S&P 500 rising 2.28%, securing its fourth consecutive monthly advance. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite lagged, posting a modest gain of 0.65%, and small-cap stocks, as measured by the...
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
August 2024
Observations
Beginning in July and spilling over into the first few days of August, a notable sea change has taken place throughout financial markets. We have talked and written ad nauseum about the dominance of the Magnificent 7 over the past 18 months.
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
July 2024
Observations
Last month, strength in the market-cap weighted S&P 500 and the tech centric Nasdaq persisted with both indices logging their second straight monthly gain and fifth monthly gain since the start of the year. The S&P 500 rose 3.5%, while the Nasdaq...
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
June 2024
Observations
The month of May marked a robust rebound in the major US equity indices, following a lackluster April. All major indices advanced with the Nasdaq leading the way, rising 6.9%.
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
May 2024
Observations
In April, U.S. equities experienced a downturn following the robust gains seen in the first quarter. Major indices retreated from their highs, with the S&P 500 dropping 4.1%, followed by the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 falling 4.4% and 7.1%, respectively.
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
April 2024
Observations
In March, U.S. equities continued their steady ascent with all major indices experiencing gains. The S&P 500 extended its winning streak, marking its fifth consecutive monthly increase and closing higher for the 10th time in the past 13 months.
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
March 2024
Observations
Major U.S. equity indices closed the month of February on a positive note, with the Nasdaq and small-cap Russell 2000 leading the charge. Notably, the S&P 500 achieved a significant milestone by eclipsing the 5000 mark for the first time on February...
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA
February 2024
Observations
A page flipping on the calendar was not going to put a halt to the strength we saw in equities last year. Fresh off an impressive rally to close out the last two months of 2023, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq continued...
By: William “Billy” Little, Jr., CFA