Market Recap – April 2015

Investors seemed to take their emotional cue from a spate of mixed earnings results and economic data, waffling between enthusiasm and caution throughout the month. The Nasdaq finally recouped the losses it incurred during the technology crash 15 years ago, hitting a new record high during the third week of April. It then gave up much of that ground to end the month less than 1% higher than where it started. The S&P 500 and Russell 2000 indexes also managed to hit new highs, only to retreat again, posting a modest gain of 0.85% and a loss of 2.61%, respectively. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield rose past the 2% mark.

Internationally, investors kept a keen eye on Greece and its ongoing discussions with creditors, as speculation continued about the country’s ability to repay its debts. Despite this uncertainty, April seemed to favor global stocks, which surged 3.30%.

Oil prices reached new highs for the year towards month’s end, with U.S. crude closing April at about $60/barrel. Gold closed the month virtually unchanged from March, at $1,183 an ounce. The dollar posted its worst monthly loss in four years, losing approximately 3.7% against a basket of six other currencies.

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