It was another year of positive returns for stocks and bonds. The Dow Jones Industrials rose almost 13%, the S&P 500 16%, the Nasdaq Composite 20%, and the Russell 2000 12.8%.
Financial markets largely continued their upward march during the third quarter. Despite concerns ranging from geopolitical tensions to a looming U.S. government shutdown, markets delivered positive returns across most asset classes.
The first quarter was packed with an unusually large number of natural disasters and notable events — fires, floods, hailstorms, tornadoes, and the inauguration of a new administration.