The year 2020 is one to forget. There was COVID-19, then record job losses, devastating wildfires, hurricanes, and a divisive and ugly election. Next year can’t come soon enough. But there is good news. On this Thanksgiving holiday that is where my focus is. Here are some good news stories:

Of course, we can be thankful for the strength of the stock market. Despite the pandemic and its influence on the economy stocks proved to be very resilient. The S&P 500 is up 12 percent this year and the Nasdaq Composite is stronger still, gaining 34 percent. COVID was not a “black swan” event for equities. For more on the dichotomy of stocks versus the economy, see my September 11 article titled, Record Rally vs. Real Economy. It is available at www.TahoeDailyTribune.com.

COVID-19 vaccines will be delivered earlier and be more effective than what the experts predicted. That doesn’t surprise me. When something is in everyone’s best interest don’t bet against a good result. Testing from Pfizer PFE and Moderna MRNA showed their vaccines are 95 percent effective and they also reduce the severity of the disease for those that get infected. The testing results even made Dr. Fauci a bit giddy. 

During the pandemic, charitable giving is soaring. Schwab, Fidelity, and Vanguard are reported that charitable giving in the first half of 2020 was 45 to 50 percent more than it was in 2019. Those with smaller accounts are also generous. One-third of households supported those in need by giving financially as well as providing canned goods, masks, or other goods.

Even during the pandemic, some sectors are thriving. We all know of the COVID beneficiaries (Amazon AMZN, Walmart WMT, Zoom ZM, Peloton PTON, etc.), but did you know renewable energy is replacing coal? The U.S. consumed more renewable energy than coal for the first time since the 1880s. Coal will generate 20 percent of U.S. electricity this year, down from 31 percent in 2016. Renewables will generate just over 20 percent, up from 15 percent four years ago. 

Social distancing is helping families spend more time together. Parents are spending more time with their children and spouses see more of each other. Okay, that’s maybe too much of a good thing!

The final good news story is that the election is over. The presidential election wasn’t close so the Supreme court won’t be the deciding factor. No more political ads and phone calls. I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.