The S&P 500 Total Return Index gained 12.1% for the quarter and finished up 18.3% for the year. The Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index gained 0.4% for the quarter and ended up 5.6% for the year.
2020 was one of the most eventful years in recent memory. Pandemic related news has been the focus of market participants and this will continue into the beginning of 2021. Many investors question the rebound in stock prices, wondering if the stock market is disconnected from the havoc in the economy. Clearly, investors are looking forward, anticipating a return to a more normal level of economic activity in 2021. We will be watching corporate earnings, consumer spending and interest rates as key drivers of the markets.
Previous periods of market volatility have demonstrated that trying to time the market is a difficult and typically underperforming pursuit, compared with simply staying invested. Our experience leads us to believe that it is usually best to stick to the investing plan developed with your advisor when markets were calm.