Happy New Year! I’m back in the saddle after some time off for the holidays...and it looks like the markets are trying to get into the swing of things again, too. Stocks are rallying on this first trading day of 2025, as are gold, silver, and crude oil. Ditto for Treasuries, Bitcoin, and the dollar.
What about 2024? It proved to be a heck of a year for stocks! The S&P 500 rallied 23%, with 57 new record highs, after rising 24% in 2023. That made the last two years the best consecutive ones since 1997-1998.
GLD, SPY, AGG, DIA, IWM, QQQ (1-Year Total Return in %)
Data by YCharts
The Dow Jones Industrial Average had a rough December, which resulted in the index gaining only 13% on the year. But the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite surged 29%. Meanwhile, gold rallied 27% -- its best annual performance since 2010 -- while Bitcoin jumped 113%.
As for Treasuries? They eked out a gain on a total return basis, with the Bloomberg US Treasury Index up 0.6%. Things looked better a couple months ago, before bond prices faded on dialed-back expectations for 2025 Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Higher-risk corporate and junk bonds fared better.
Looking ahead to this year, I shared some thoughts about what to expect just before the holidays HERE. I remain in "Be Bold" mode - though I think the next 12 months could be choppier in markets.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for guidance on which stocks and ETFs might perform best in 2025, don’t miss our MoneyShow Top Picks 2025 Report! It drops in only FOUR DAYS, and it contains 78 recommendations from 44 different MoneyShow contributors. Make sure you’re on the report release list by clicking HERE (Feel free to share the link with family and friends so they get the picks, too!)
