“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow” – Albert Einstein
Happy New Year!
After a difficult 2018, where markets drew down by ~20% from July until December 24th, markets rebounded handsomely in 2019, with strong returns across the board.
The Nasdaq, one of the major U.S. indexes, led the way with a final return of 35.24%. On the lower end of the scale, the FTSE 100, the United Kingdom’s major index, gained “only” 12.31%, no doubt hampered by the ongoing Brexit saga. In Canada, the S&P/TSX Composite enjoyed a gain of 19.13%.
All in all, it was a great year for portfolio returns.
You can look forward to our January E-Newsletter, which will include some useful informational pieces including a full market outlook for 2020, in mid- to late-January.
2019 Results – By The Numbers
| North America | 2019 Start | 2019 Finish | 2019 % Change |
| Canada – S&P TSX Composite | 14,323 | 17,063 | 19.13% |
| USA – Dow Jones Industrial Average | 23,327 | 28,538 | 22.34% |
| USA – S&P 500 | 2,507 | 3,231 | 28.88% |
| USA – NASDAQ | 6,635 | 8,973 | 35.24% |
| Gold Futures (USD) | $1,285.00 | $1,520.00 | 18.29% |
| Crude Oil Futures (USD) | $45.83 | $61.21 | 33.56% |
| CAD/USD Exchange Rate | $0.73 | $0.77 | 5.08% |
| Europe / Asia | 2019 Start | 2019 Finish | 2019 % Change |
| MSCI World Index | 1,885 | 2,358 | 25.09% |
| Switzerland – Euro Stoxx 50 | 3,001 | 3,748 | 24.89% |
| England – FTSE 100 | 6,728 | 7,556 | 12.31% |
| France – CAC 40 | 4,731 | 5,978 | 26.36% |
| Germany – DAX Performance Index | 10,559 | 13,249 | 25.48% |
| Japan – Nikkei 225 | 20,015 | 23,657 | 18.20% |
| China – Shanghai Composite Index | 2,494 | 3,050 | 22.29% |
| CAD/EURO Exchange Rate | € 0.64 | € 0.69 | 6.99% |
| Fixed Income | 2019 Start | 2019 Finish | 2019 % Change |
| 10-Year Bond Yield (in %) | 2.690 | 1.919 | -28.66% |
Sources: Yahoo Finance, CNBC.com
This information is provided for general information purposes only. It does not constitute professional advice. Please contact a professional about your specific needs before taking any action.