I thought I would start this thread for investing information/ market updates. I assume many of us get this type of information so it may be a good place to share. Let's see how it goes! It is hard to believe that large cap stocks are up 128% from the low (2009) and small cap stocks are up 160%! Wow! -- good luck to all in 2013.
Attached is a very good 2012 market summary from JP Morgan. I don't use their funds (I prefer Vanguard, ETF's and DFA) but they have good market analysis.
2012 JP Morgan market update jp-littlebook pdf.pdf
Market Summary for 2012
All major US market indices were up substantially for 2012. The S&P 500 gained 13.4%, and with dividends included, logged a total return of 16%. The NASDAQ Composite Index gained 15.9% for the year, and the Russell 2000, a popular benchmark for small company US stocks, returned 16.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 7.3%. The market’s strong performance came with lower volatility, as gauged by the CBOE Volatility Index, which had its largest annual decrease since 2009.
Non-US developed market indices performed even better. The MSCI World ex USA Index, a benchmark for large cap stocks in developed markets outside the US, returned 16.4%. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index returned 18.2%.