2024 was another strong year for equity investors. While not as good as the year’s first three quarters, the fourth quarter still finished with positive returns, more record highs, and an optimistic outlook toward 2025. Historically, equity markets have advanced in the fourth quarter and after a series of ups and downs, they finished ahead of where they started.
Happy New Year and welcome to 2025! We hope you and your family had an enjoyable holiday season. We thank you for giving us the opportunity to help you pursue your financial goals. We are excited to see what the new year will bring.
If you heard the war in Ukraine would continue, unrest would heighten in the Middle East, a former President would be shot during a contentious Presidential election season, and the Federal deficit would reach an all-time high, you might think the equity market would struggle. Fortunately, for long-term investors, the first three quarters of 2024 have been recorded as the best first three quarters of any year in the 21st century. While the third quarter had its ups and downs, the S&P 500 rose 5.5% and closed the quarter at an all-time high of 5,762. This brought the S&P 500’s year-to-date gain to nearly 21%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) also had a record performance, rising 8.2% for the quarter, ending at 42,330. This brought the DJIA’s year-to-date gain to over 12%. (barrons.com/market-data) The third quarter was not a smooth ride by any means.
One of our main goals as holistic financial professionals is to help our clients recognize tax reduction opportunities within their investment portfolios and overall financial planning strategies. Staying current on the ever-changing tax environment is a key component to helping our clients benefit from potential tax reduction strategies