812-853-0878  |  800-355-9624

January 1, 2018

by | Jan 1, 2018 | Quarterly Letters

Dear Client: Returns for the major stock indices for 2017 and the current bond market yields are as follows: Index 2017 Dow Jones Industrial Average 28.08% S&P 500 21.82%   Fixed Income Yields 1 year 5 year 10 year 30 year Municipals 1.44% 1.70% 2.01% 2.62% US Treasuries 1.73% 2.21% 2.41% 2.74%   As we close out 2017, long-term equity investors have had another very successful year.  Not only was 2017 a successful year, it was one of the steadiest market performances in history.  The market increased in all 12 months and the S&P 500 index never declined over 3% in 2017.  This extraordinarily low volatility certainly will not last but is consistent with healthy bull market rallies.  The S&P 500 made 63 new highs while the Dow Jones Industrial Average logged 70 new highs in 2017.  Quite clearly, investors are buying market dips and optimism for the equity market is undoubtedly back.  While it is easy to reflect on good times and celebrate successful years, we never forget the stock market is a discounting mechanism that processes present and future expectations and current events.  Despite inevitable bumps in the road ahead, we still believe the equity markets are poised to reflect continued growth and will continue to benefit from the lack of attractive alternatives available to investors. At LYNCH & Associates, we do our best to be grounded in humility, as we have written that getting bogged down explaining away the day-to-day gyrations of the markets can be a fool’s errand.  We know that trying to interpret or predict short-term movements in the markets is impossible and has...