US Equities Rose Last Week While Most Other Markets Declined

The US stock market was the top performer for the five trading days through Oct. 20. Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI) gained 0.8% last week, marking the ETF’s sixth consecutive weekly advance.

Losses dominated the major asset classes last week, based on a set of exchange-traded products. But three corners of the global markets bucked the trend with gains: US stocks, junk bonds in the US, and high-yield bonds in foreign markets.

The US stock market was the top performer for the five trading days through Oct. 20. Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI) gained 0.8% last week, marking the ETF’s sixth consecutive weekly advance.

Last week’s biggest loser: US real estate investment trusts (REITs). Vanguard REIT (VNQ) shed 1.3%. The ETF’s slide is the first weekly setback since mid-September.

US stocks are in the lead for the one-year change too. VTI is ahead by nearly 23% over the past 12 months.

Foreign stocks are in close pursuit. The number-two performer for one-year results: Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets (VEA), which is up 22.3% vs. the year-earlier level. The third-strongest performance for the trailing one-year change: a 20.7% total return for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets (VWO).

Meanwhile, broadly defined commodities continue to wallow in last place for year-over-year comparisons. iPath Bloomberg Commodity (DJP) is down 0.9% vs. its year-ago price.

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