A Spectacular Quarter For U.S. Stocks Just Ended

• 
• 

Published Friday, March 29, 2019 at: 7:00 AM EDT

The first quarter of 2019 ended on Friday with a gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index of 13%, the best quarterly performance since the third quarter of 2009.

Publicly traded shares of large American companies, in decades past, averaged about a 10% total return per year. So, a double-digit gain in a three-month period is extraordinary by historical standards.

The strong performance in stocks occurred despite a long list of worries, including:

• inversion of the yield curve, a bad sign that has preceded every recession in post-War U.S.
• a U.S. trade war with China, the world's second-largest economic power
• signs of a sharp slowdown across Europe and in China
• lower earnings growth forecasts by Wall Street analysts for S&P 500 companies for 2019

No one can predict the future of the stock market or any particular investment with certainty. Just a week ago, the S&P 500 fell by 1.9% in a single day! A key growth investment in a broadly diversified portfolio, the S&P 500 index suffered a 19.8% plunge from September 20th's all-time closing high to the Christmas Eve closing low of 2,351.10. Closing on Friday at 2834.40, the S&P 500 stood just shy of its all-time closing high of 2930.75 on September 20th, 2018.

---

This article was written by a veteran financial journalist based on data compiled and analyzed by independent economist, Fritz Meyer. While these are sources we believe to be reliable, the information is not intended to be used as financial or tax advice without consulting a professional about your personal situation. Tax laws are subject to change. Indices are unmanaged and not available for direct investment. Investments with higher return potential carry greater risk for loss. Past performance is not an indicator of your future results.

This article was written by a veteran financial journalist based on data compiled and analyzed by independent economist, Fritz Meyer. While these are sources we believe to be reliable, the information is not intended to be used as financial advice without consulting a professional about your personal situation.

Indices are unmanaged and not available for direct investment. Investments with higher return potential carry greater risk for loss. Past performance is not an indicator of your future results.

2023

• Latest On Inflation, Consumer & Business-Owner Optimism
• Slower Growth But Economic Outlook Remains Bright
• Labor Market And Inflation Drove Stocks Higher
• Costlier Homes Expected To Appreciate 4% Annually For The Next Five Years
• Leading Economic Index Falls For 16th Straight Month
• Tax-Sensitive Investment Planning In 2023 
• A Healthy Recipe For Growth Is Simmering
• Good News About The U.S. Economy
• The New Bull Market Has Broadened
• An Economy Goldilocks Would Definitely Live With
• Monthly Pace Of New-Job Creation Slowed In June, Which Is Good News
• Standard & Poor's 500 Gained 9.9% In Q2 2023 

• This Week’s News For Investors
• This Week’s News For Investors Is Very Good
• Why The New Bull Market Theory Was In The News This Past Week
• Strong Jobs Report Caps A Week For The Record Books
• Why Stocks Rose Friday Despite A Rise In Inflation In April
• Weekly Investor Update
• The Confluence Of Bad News For Recent Retirees And Those About To Retire
• Good And Bad News This Week For Investors
• Getting There: The Economic Balancing Act Progressed In March
• Stocks Gained Friday But Closed Fractionally Lower For The Week 
• Good News On Inflation But A Recession May Be Hard To Avoid
• Analysis: The First Data Since The Banking Crisis Erupted In March

2022

• 2022 Was The Worst Year For Stocks Since 2008
• 4Q '22 Is Closing Strong, But Recession Expected In 1Q '23
• A Key Principle In Fruitful Investing
• Plan Now For The Next Recovery
• Ending Inflation Will Take Months
• Economists Predict Lackluster 4Q22 Growth; Fed Algorithm Predicts 4.3%
• Amid Darkening News, Positive Economic Signs
• Stocks Soared This Past Week But Economic Pain Is Still Ahead
• Factors Blurring The Likelihood Of A Recession
• Weekly Investor Update
• Stocks Rose 4.7% This Past Week, Amid A Bear Market
• 105 Years Ago In Investing: Conditions Were Much The Same As Today

• A Timely Reminder Of Why You Take Stock Risk 
• Good And Bad Financial News: Weekly Investment Update 
• A Financial And Tax Planning Strategy For This Week's Stock Market Plunge
• Having Trouble Tuning Out The Bad Financial Economic News?
• A Key Signal Of Strength At A Pivotal Moment In Economic History
• Despite Strong Jobs Report, Stocks Declined Last Week
• The Fed Risks A Recession To End Inflation, As Expected
• Stocks Snap Four-Week Win Streak
• Stocks Have Soared Lately, But What Should You Expect Near And Long-Term?
• Investing In An Economy Beset By Multiple Anomalies
• Despite Bad Economic News, Stocks Rose 4% In The Week Ended July 29, 2022
• Amid Bad Data Releases, Leading Economists Predict No Recession

2019

• Uncle Sam Delivers A Strong Economy
• A Dramatic Pause, As Expansion Breaks Longevity Record
• The Explosion In Real Retail Sales You Never Hear About
• Amid Signs Of Weakness, Fed Reverses Course; Stocks Rally
• Three Stories Affecting Your Wealth This Week
• Buried In The Fed's Financial Stability Report, A Potential Risk To Investors
• Forget Everything You Know About Inflation
• China Trade War Sparks Fear But Not Stock Losses
• Surprisingly Good Productivity, Jobs, Inflation And Trade News
• Stocks Break Record High On Economic Surprises
• U.S. Leading Indicators, Retail Sales, And Atlanta Fed Forecast Signal Strength
• S&P 500 Closes Near Record High Amid Growing Ebullience

• An Early Indication The Economy Is Stronger Than Expected
• A Spectacular Quarter For U.S. Stocks Just Ended
• Real Economy Strengthens, Yield Curve Inverts And Mueller Report Drops
• Despite Crises, Economic Fundamentals Are Strong
• How Misperceptions Spread And Cause Confusion On Money Matters
• Real Spending Power Grew Twice The Rate Of The Last Expansion
• Global Growth Forecast Slows, But U.S. Outlook Remains Stable
• How Long Does It Take To Be A Long-Term Investor?
• Five Observations About The CBO's New Long-Term Debt Forecast
• Fed Apology, Strong Job Growth Bolster Stocks
• Despite Grim Headlines, Economic Growth Is Intact
• Despite December Turbulence, Economy And Business Optimism Were Strong

2018

• 'Twas The Last Trading Day Before Christmas
• Stock Plunge Nears Bear Territory After Fed Hike
• A Last-Minute Reminder To Give Wisely And Charitably
• Key Facts About Tariffs, Interest Rates, And Economic Strength
• Fed Chair Extends A Dovish Hand, Lifting Stocks
• S&P 500 Slid Last Week, As Earnings Growth Is Recalibrated
• Last Chance For Pre-Retired Professionals & Biz Owners
• Amid A Swirl Of Controversy, Fed Policy Remained Stable
• More Good Economic News On Friday
• Is Amazon Keeping The Inflation Rate Low?
• Analyzing The Market Correction
• This Week In Stocks And The Economy

• Analyzing The Risk Of Stocks After The 6.9% Drop
• Fed Chair: "We Remain In Extraordinary Times."
• With The S&P 500 Up 7.2% In 3Q18, What's Driving Stocks?
• Widespread Misinformation Follows Household Median Income Report
• Investment Wisdom At A Poignant Moment In History
• Good Economic Surprises Happening Now
• Economic Facts To Prepare For The Elections
• Another Member Of Music Royalty Dies With No Will
• Top 10 Indications The Economic Outlook Is Brighter Than Expected
• Wealth And Economic News This Week (2-Minute Read)
• 10 Things: New Education Tax Breaks For A Child Or Grandchild
• The Truth About U.S. GDP Growth

2017

• 2017 Ends With S&P 500 Total Return Of 21.8%
• President Signs Historic Tax Cuts And Jobs Act; Stocks Drop A Fraction
• Good News On The Economy And A Tax Alert
• Tax Bill Drives Another Stock Market Record And Gives You To-Dos By Year-End
• An Eventful Week In Wealth Management
• Leading Economic Indicators Surge, Stocks Break Record High Again
• News Affecting Your Wealth Dominated The Headlines This Past Week
• U.S. GDP Growth Surprise Propels Stocks To New Record
• Why Does The S&P 500 Keep Breaking Records?
• U.S. Stocks Nearly Doubled In The Last Five Years
• The Big Economic News The Media Keeps Missing
• Trump Tax Plan Upends Year-End Tax Planning

• Key Senators Agree On A Road To Cutting Taxes This Year
• Year-End Tax Planning Could End With A Thrill This Year
• This Week's News About Wealth Management
• Stocks Dropped For Second Straight Week Amid Strengthening Economic Reports
• With Stocks Near All-Time High, Personal Income And Employment Data Are Released
• How Strategic Asset Allocation And Rebalancing Worked In The 12 Months Ended June 30
• Wall Street's "Top" Strategists' Recommendations Are Like Monkeys Throwing Darts
• Stronger Than Expected Jobs Creation But CNBC Reports "Trouble Lurked"
• S&P 500 Returned 2.9% In 2nd Quarter And 9.2% In First Half Of 2017
• Despite Distractions, Demographics Are Poised To Drive U.S. Long-Term Growth
• The Federal Reserve's Historic Economic Experiment Entered A New Phase
• Despite The Washington Sideshow, Stocks Closed At A New All-Time High

2016

• Visualizing The Risk Of Running Out Of Money In Retirement
• Wall Street's Strategists About As Good As Monkeys Throwing Darts
• Stocks Surge 2% Friday But Why Are They So Volatile Lately?

2015

• Despite A Lackluster Black Friday, Economic Fundamentals Look Good