Equities

Review of Market Performance: Fiscal Year 2020

While US-China tensions began to slowly de-escalate in the the first half of FY 2020, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in the second half upended the investment landscape. Gold and US Treasuries were the big winners as investors rushed into safe havens, while central banks cut rates and expanded QE programs. Equities have mounted a remarkable comeback, while real assets generally remain quite depressed. This chart book presents returns and other market metrics for fiscal year 2020.

Decades of Data: 1900–2019

As the current market environment continues to rapidly evolve, we remind investors that reviewing 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.

Benefits of Global Diversification

Investors are now grappling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has sent global equities into bear market territory as the threat of a severe recession weighs on the global economy. These are challenging, uncertain times for equity markets. As investors work to ensure their portfolios will be robust through this downturn and are positioned for the eventual rebound, we offer a review of the critical benefits of global equity diversification and examine considerations related to home bias, rebalancing strategies, and currency impacts.