Market Recap – February 2015
By Mark FisselPosted on March 2nd, 2015
The Markets
After a disappointing January, equities rebounded in fine style in February. The S&P 500 and Russell 2000 hit new all-time highs, and the S&P had its strongest month since October 2011. The Nasdaq continued to be the strongest year-to-date performer, while a temporary bailout extension for Greece helped benefit the Global Dow.
Oil prices stabilized around $50 a barrel, which helped boost consumers’ spending power. The U.S. dollar gained strength, though not as much as it did in January, while gold fell below $1,200 per ounce before rebounding to roughly $1,212. And as investors regained confidence in equities, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield rose as prices fell.
| Market/Index | 2014 Close | Prior Month | As of 2/27 | Month Change | YTD Change |
| DJIA | 17823.07 | 17164.95 | 18132.70 | 5.64% | 1.74% |
| Nasdaq | 4736.05 | 4635.24 | 4963.53 | 7.08% | 4.80% |
| S&P 500 | 2058.90 | 1994.99 | 2104.50 | 5.49% | 2.21% |
| Russell 2000 | 1204.70 | 1165.39 | 1233.37 | 5.83% | 2.38% |
| Global Dow | 2501.66 | 2441.41 | 2581.89 | 5.75% | 3.21% |
| Fed. Funds | .25% | .25% | .25% | 0 bps | 0 bps |
| 10-year Treasuries | 2.17% | 1.68% | 2.03% | 35 bps | -14 bps |
Chart reflects price changes, not total return. Because it does not include dividends or splits, it should not be used to benchmark performance of specific investments.
source: broadridge