Rockbridge Institutional – September 2026 Market Review
Capital Markets Activity Stock returns were mixed this quarter. AI stocks rebounded nicely. Bonds, especially for longer maturities, were down reflecting rising yields. Here’s the data: Stock Markets The return of the S&P 500 Index led all other market indices this quarter. The AI-dominated Magnificent Seven stocks explain much of this result. The equally weighted […]
Rockbridge Institutional – August 2026 Market Review
Capital Markets Activity Shrugging off uncertainty, stock market returns are up across the board. Bond yields are up, reflecting increased risk, not longer-term inflation expectations. Rising yields brought on negative bond returns. Here’s the data: Stock Markets Amid continued volatility, stocks turned in a good performance in August. Note the consistency of stock market indices. […]
Rockbridge Institutional – July 2026 Market Review
July brought volatile stock markets resulting in mixed returns among various indices. Bond yields are up, reflecting increased risk producing negative bond returns. Here’s the data: Stocks Stocks seemingly move on the latest news from Iran negotiations and the status of the Strait of Hormuz. Consequently, since negotiations are off and on, expected continued volatility […]
Rockbridge Institutional – June 2026 Market Review
Stocks continue to provide extraordinary returns. Bonds are flat. Inflation is a worry. Here’s the data: Stocks A great quarter for stocks. All indices are up big. The riskier US Small Cap and Emerging Markets indices led the way, although all market indices are well above long-term averages. The average return of the Magnificent Seven […]
Rockbridge Institutional – May 2026 Market Review
Continuing to shrug off political and economic uncertainty, stocks pushed ahead in May. Bond yields are up a bit. Here’s the data: Stocks Stock results are consistent with an ongoing willingness to accept risk. Continued enthusiasm for the expected payoff from investments in AI technology explains May’s positive results for the S&P 500 and Emerging […]
Rockbridge Institutional – April 2026 Market Review
The month of April brought back investors’ appetite for risk. Capital markets seemed to have shrugged off the Middle East turmoil as stocks soared. Here’s the data: Stocks Stocks snapped back in April. The S&P 500, led by the Magnificent Seven, was up 10%. The riskier markets – Russell 2000 and Emerging Markets indices – […]
Rockbridge Institutional – March 2026 Market Review
Increased uncertainty brought on by our bombing of Iran pushed returns down across the board. Here are the indices data for several periods ending March 31, 2026: Note especially: Stocks Stock indices were especially volatile in March, ending down across the board with losses ranging from negative 5% – 13%. International markets were down most, […]
Rockbridge Institutional – February 2026 Market Review
Except for the AI-dominated S&P 500 index, stocks continue to move ahead across a broad front. Bonds reflect a slight drop in longer-term yields. Here’s the data for several periods ending February: Stocks Except for the S&P 500, stock market indices continued their positive trajectory in February. The S&P 500 reported above is a capitalization-weighted […]
Rockbridge Institutional – January 2026 Market Review
Notwithstanding the volatility from political uncertainty, stocks continued to surge ahead this month, especially in non-domestic markets. Here’s the data for periods ending January 2026: Note: Stocks This month a global stock portfolio reflects results from more than technology stocks. The widely quoted capital-weighted S&P 500 returned 1%, under other indices. On the other hand, […]
Rockbridge Institutional – December 2025 Market Review
Notwithstanding ongoing predictions of a correction in AI stocks, markets turned in a good quarter and year. Here’s the data (periods ending December 31, 2025): Note especially: Stocks Stocks surged amid concerns for a correction. The S&P 500, which is a reasonable proxy for AI, continues to push ahead. The Magnificent Seven portfolio (a widely […]