The COVID-19 pandemic has roiled capital markets thus far in 2020. Equities fell into a bear market, sovereign bond yields dropped to all-time lows, credit spreads spiked as liquidity dried up, and oil prices plunged. Measures taken to contain the virus’ spread have ground economic activity to a halt, threatening the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. For more on the market implications of COVID-19, visit our Market Implications of COVID-19 resources page.

As the current market environment continues to rapidly evolve, we remind investors that understanding the history of business cycles, returns, and valuations can help provide a framework for understanding the market today. Our 2019 edition of Decades of Data presents historical analysis on economic indicators, equity, fixed income, and cash markets across eight geographies over the very long term.

Click on the boxes below to access the chart book for each region.