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.
Markets rallied to finish out the year, with all three major U.S. indices notching gains for the month, quarter, and year. The S&P 500 gained 4.48 percent in December, which contributed to an 11.03 percent return for the quarter and a strong 28.71 percent gain for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) returned 5.53 percent in December, 7.87 percent for the quarter, and 20.95 percent for the year. The Nasdaq Composite experienced some turbulence, but the technology-heavy index managed a 0.74 percent return in December. It posted an 8.45 percent return for the quarter, and a 22.18 percent gain for the year.
Equity market returns were mixed in November as concerns about the COVID-19 Omicron variant led to late-month declines that largely wiped out earlier gains. The S&P 500 declined 0.69 percent while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) experienced a 3.50 percent decline. The Nasdaq Composite held up the best during the month and was able to eke out a 0.33 percent return.
Markets rebounded from September’s pullback with strong results in October, driven by improving economic conditions and a better-than-expected start to earnings season. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 5.93 percent during the month, while the S&P 500 saw a 7.01 percent gain. The Nasdaq Composite led the way with a strong 7.29 percent return. These positive results helped all three indices to record highs in October.
Markets pulled back sharply in September after setting record highs in August. Rising medical risks hit growth expectations at the same time as concerns about inflation and rising interest rates weighed heavily on sentiment in a sort of perfect storm. All three indices dropped during the month, wiping out most or all of the quarter’s gains. The S&P 500 declined by 4.65 percent in September but managed to gain 0.58 percent for the quarter. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4.20 percent for the month and 1.46 percent for the quarter. The Nasdaq Composite fared worst, with a decline of 5.27 percent in September, but its quarterly loss was just 0.23 percent.
Markets continued to rally in August, with all three major U.S. indices setting new record highs. While there was some mid-month volatility, markets were able to bounce back swiftly toward month-end. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.50 percent while the S&P 500 notched a 3.04 percent return. The Nasdaq Composite led the way with a 4.08 percent return.
July was a positive month for most markets despite rising medical risks. The three major U.S. indices saw all-time highs as the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.19 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a 1.34 percent gain, and the S&P 500 led the way with a 2.38 percent return.