Equity markets fell in August as investors pulled back from riskier investments. The S&P 500 lost 1.59 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.01 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.05 percent. Despite the modest August declines, all three major U.S. indices remained in positive territory for the quarter and year-to-date.
Equity markets rallied in July, with rising investor confidence helping to support stocks to start the second half of the year. The S&P 500 rose 3.21 percent during the month while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 3.44 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led the way with a 4.08 percent gain as technology stocks continued to rally. These positive results helped bring all three indices near their respective all-time highs that were set in late 2021 and early 2022.
June was a strong month for equity markets as resolution of the debt ceiling impasse helped lower uncertainty and supported a risk-on environment. The positive monthly returns capped a solid quarter for stocks. The S&P 500 gained 6.61 percent for the month and 8.74 percent for the quarter. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 4.68 percent in June and 3.97 percent for the quarter. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite led the way, returning 6.65 percent in June and 13.05 percent in the quarter.
Equities experienced a mixed month in May as technology-related stocks rallied while most other sectors remained flat or fell. The S&P 500 gained 0.43 percent while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.17 percent. The Nasdaq Composite led the way with a 5.93 percent return, supported by a surge in technology stocks due to a rise in investor enthusiasm surrounding AI at month-end.
Equity markets experienced continued gains in April, contributing to strong gains to start the year. The S&P 500 gained 1.56 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a 2.57 percent return, and the Nasdaq Composite eked out a 0.07 percent increase.
Markets had a solid March, as a month-end rally helped bring all three major U.S. indices into positive territory for the month. The S&P 500 gained 3.67 percent while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) increased 2.08 percent and the Nasdaq Composite notched a 6.78 percent gain. March results helped offset weakness in February and all three indices ended the quarter in the green. The S&P 500, DJIA, and Nasdaq gained 7.50 percent, 0.93 percent, and 17.05 percent, respectively, for the quarter.
February was a challenging month for investors as early gains were wiped out by a late-month sell-off. All three major U.S. equity indices ended up in the red. The S&P 500 lost 2.44 percent in February while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 3.94 percent. The Nasdaq Composite held up the best of the three, with the technology-heavy index down 1.01 percent. Rising bond yields pressured equity valuations and performance in February.
Markets rallied to start the year, with all three major U.S. indices seeing positive returns in January after experiencing declines in 2022. The S&P 500 rose 6.28 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.93 percent, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite led the way with a strong 10.72 percent gain. Equity markets were supported by falling long-term interest rates.
Markets sold off in December, with the negative month contributing to mixed results for the quarter and declines for 2022. The S&P 500 lost 5.76 percent during the month, which held the index to a 7.56 percent gain for the quarter. Despite the fourth-quarter rebound, the S&P 500 lost 18.11 percent over the course of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was similar, with a 4.09 percent decline in December holding the index to a 16.01 percent gain for the quarter. The DJIA still lost 6.86 percent for the year. Finally, the Nasdaq Composite lost 8.67 percent in December, which led to a 0.79 percent decline for the quarter. The technology-heavy index lost 32.54 percent throughout the year as rising rates and slowing growth weighed on investors.
November saw continued market gains, as all three major U.S. indices rose for the second consecutive month. The S&P 500 returned 5.59 percent during the month, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) notched a 6.04 percent return. The Nasdaq Composite also had a solid month, with the technology-heavy index increasing 4.51 percent. Equity markets were supported by rising optimism from investors that the Federal Reserve (Fed) is set to start slowing the pace of rate hikes in the near future.
Equity markets showed signs of improvement in October, helping offset September losses. The S&P 500 gained 8.1 percent during the month, while the Nasdaq rose 3.94 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) experienced the best month of the three major indices, soaring 14.07 percent. Although these solid results were encouraging, all three indices remain down for the year.
Equity markets saw widespread declines in September, wiping out gains from earlier in the quarter and bringing the major indices to their lowest closing levels for the year. The S&P 500 fell 9.21 percent during the month, which caused the index to lose 4.88 percent during the quarter. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 8.76 percent in September, capping the 6.17 percent decline for the quarter. The Nasdaq Composite lost 10.44 percent for the month and 3.91 percent for the quarter. Rising interest rates pressured equity valuations throughout the month and quarter and served as the primary sell-off factor.
August was a challenging month for markets, with a late slide bringing all three major indices into the red for the month. The S&P 500 lost 4.08 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped 3.72 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 4.53 percent. The sell-off was due to rising interest rates in August, caused in part by comments from Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell, who said the central bank planned to keep short-term rates higher for longer to combat inflation. Rising interest rates hurt stock valuations and can lead to slower economic growth.
Markets sold off in early- and mid-May due to concerns of slowing economic growth before a late-month rally brought them close to even. The month-end rally led to mixed results for the three major U.S. equity indices. The S&P 500 gained 0.18 percent while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) notched a 0.33 percent return. The Nasdaq Composite was unable to rebound, with the index down 1.93 percent in May.
It was a rocky start to the spring for markets, with all three major U.S. indices ending the month in the red. The S&P 500 lost 8.72 percent in April while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped 4.82 percent. The Nasdaq Composite saw the largest drop as the index’s heavy weighting toward technology companies led to a 13.24 percent decline in April.
Markets sold off in February, driven first by continued concerns about inflation and then by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The S&P 500 dropped 2.99 percent while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 3.29 percent. The Nasdaq Composite Index was hit the hardest and its heavy weighting toward technology companies led to a 3.35 percent decline. This result marks two consecutive months with losses to start the year for all three indices.
Equity markets had a rough start to the year, with concerns about inflation and rising case growth in the first half of January leading to sell-offs for all three major U.S. indices. The S&P 500 lost 5.17 percent in January despite a late-month rally that helped offset declines from earlier in the month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite also experienced a partial rebound at month-end, but they still lost 3.24 percent and 8.96 percent, respectively.