Dec 31, 2024 - Business
Stocks finish strong 2024 with a whimper
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Stocks soared in 2024, despite a rough final week that wiped out the S&P 500's post-election rally.
Why it matters: People with market-representative stock portfolios are still richer now than when the year began.
By the numbers: Each of the four major stock indices had strong gains, although each also lagged its 2023 performance.
- The S&P 500 was up 24% in 2024, compared to a 24.2% rise in 2023. It was the strongest two-year performance since the late 1990s.
- The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 30.8%, versus 43.4% last year.
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 12.8%, compared to 28.4% in 2023.
- The Russell 2000, an index of small-cap stocks, gained 10.9%, compared to 2023's 15.1%.
Zoom in: The so-called Santa Claus rally didn't come to pass this year, as all four indexes have declined since Christmas.
The bottom line: U.S. stocks are more than two years into a bull market.
- Wall Street strategists generally anticipate the market's returns to ease from their recent lofty heights in coming years.
