February Financial Newsletter:
2017 market recap
For nearly all of the 2017 calendar year, major news outlets were consistently publishing articles about the remarkable performance of the stock market. It seemed like every week the Dow Jones Industrial average (DJIA) broke a new threshold or the S&P 500 closed at all-time high.
Now that the calendar has flipped, it is a good time to look back at how major stock market indices performed in 2017 and what it all means for the U.S. and its citizens.
What the stock market is — and what it is not
Before defining what the stock market is comprised of, it is important to note that the performance of stock market indices is not necessarily synonymous with the health of the American economy. Most economists and financial professionals measure the health of an economy based on a variety of factors, including gross domestic product, unemployment rates, and the consumer price index. Though a stock market index can certainly point to the general health of an economy, it is ultimately investors and speculators that dictate stock prices.
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