It’s been a banner year for stock market performance, as all three of the major US indexes—Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Nasdaq Composite, and Standard & Poor’s 500—have posted strong gains. On Tuesday, the indexes continued their winning streak as the DJIA surpassed its all-time high to hit record levels not seen since February of 2020.
Led by growth stocks like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, the Nasdaq was the best performing index, rising an impressive 2.2%. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones followed close behind, with gains of 1.6% and 1.0%, respectively. Analysts attribute this sustained strength to a combination of factors including increased investor confidence in the wake of the successful rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, the Federal Reserve’s commitment to keeping interest rates low, and strong gains in technology and other higher-growth sectors.
The continued rise of the major indexes is a sign that investors are optimistic about the future. Moreover, despite the effects of the pandemic, companies focused on sectors like tech, healthcare, and finance have delivered impressive gains. In fact, since the beginning of 2020, the Nasdaq Composite is now over 66% higher and the S&P 500 is up over 45% for the same period.
With the prospects of economic normalcy in sight, analysts expect that the pattern of growth stocks and the major indexes continuing to post strong gains could continue in 2021. Despite some predictions of a correction and volatility later this year, investors appear to be shrugging of any talk of risk.
Overall, the steady performance of the major US stock indexes in the face of the pandemic has shown that the markets can weather difficult conditions. Moving forward, investors will look to continue the winning streak, with a focus on growth stocks expected to lead the way.
