The Russell 2000 index continued to underperform the Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 indices in the first quarter of 2024.

Starting with the bad news, the number of favorable changes for dividends was down both month-over-month and year-over-year and the number of unfavorable changes were up month-over-month.

Signs of distress continued to build in the U.S. stock market in April 2023. The number of firms increasing their dividends fell substantially during the month.

Stocks are mixed, as investors look ahead to this week's economic data.

May has been another anemic month for every equity index, from the Nasdaq to the Dow. As a few too many Q1 earnings reports miss their marks, each day seems to bring more uncertainty. As the tickers slant down, many wonder where the bottom will be.