Which asset classes performed best in the market frenzy of 2020
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The everything rally delivered big gains to just about every asset in 2020, thanks in large part to unprecedented action from the Fed and Congress.
By the numbers: U.S. equities ended 2020 higher on the last day of trading, with stocks registering strong gains — the Nasdaq rallied 44% on the year while the Russell gained 19%.
- The S&P 500 and the Dow both finished the year at record highs, gaining 16% and 7% for the year, respectively.
What else: Commodities were major winners, with silver the year's top performing major asset, rising by nearly 48%.
- Soybeans rose by just under 40% for the year and orange juice, copper, corn and gold all gained around 25%.
Long-dated U.S. Treasuries rose by more than 16% and an index of Treasuries maturing between seven and 10 years delivered a 9% gain.
In currencies, the year's biggest gainer was the Swedish krona, which rose by around 14% against the dollar.
- The dollar index declined by a little more than 7% and closed the year at its lowest level since early 2018.
