Waking up Monday morning was hard enough after switching to Daylight Savings time. Then to see the Dow Jones Industrial Average down over 2,000 points, or 7.78%, was certainly a punch in the gut.
As we all have noticed, the last several days have been ugly for stock markets now that the potential economic impacts of the novel coronavirus “COVID-19” are being priced into company valuations.
What a long strange trip it’s been for the stock market in 2019. Everyone loves a comeback!
Investors have been able to take a collective sigh of relief as we approach the midpoint of 2019. Remember back to last December, when almost every news headline worried that the inevitable bear market was here at last.
The record-setting low volatility of 2017 sure seems like a distant memory. This past year reminded everyone that investing for long-term success seldom features smooth sailing year in and year out.
The third quarter of 2018 concluded with strong gains for the U.S. stock market, as the S&P 500 set a new all-time high and broke the record for the longest bull market in American history. Despite rumblings in the market over global trade...