2012 Stock Performance Review

In a year characterized by volatility due to concerns over the impending fiscal cliff and questions about the debt ceiling, U.S. markets performed surprisingly well overall. Taking dividend payments into account, the NASDAQ returned 16%, the S&P 500 15%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 10%. This strong performance occurred in the midst of a worsening European debt crisis, stalling U.S. economic growth, and political gridlock in Washington. Over the first quarter of 2012, stocks posted strong gains, only to have them erased in the second quarter as the European crisis intensified and technical failures marred the third largest ever IPO in May as Facebook went public. In June, however, ECB president Mario Draghi worked with the EU to provide bailout loans to Spain’s embattled banks, which culled investors’ fears somewhat. With rumors abounding that the Fed would initiate a new round of quantitative easing in the third quarter, stocks began to get back on track. In September, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke announced QE 3 and the S&P reached a 5-year high of 1466. Investors remained bullish into the New Year, despite decreased corporate earnings across the board.

Financial stocks led the charge over the year, gaining 26% and reversing a freefalling trend. Banks continued to clean up their balance sheets and despite rogue trading mishaps and rate-fixing scandals, the sector performed very well overall. Looking ahead, volatility will likely come down as politicians come to a consensus over the debt ceiling, although a permanent fix does not seem imminent. Investors are fleeing bonds for equities, and many market prognosticators see 2013 as being a year of record highs for stocks.
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Scott Lamson

Apple Releases iPhone 5; Stocks Soar

Apple’s stock continues to soar days after the release of the iPhone 5 specifications, reaching an all time high of $696.98 on Friday, raising the formidable stock three percent in two trading days. The technology giant will begin selling the iphone in stores on September 21 in nine countries and 22 more on September 28. Apple plans to build on the iPhone hype as it gears to launch the newest iPad next early next month. The iPhone 5 sports a 4-inch retina display, 4G LTE, a metal rather than glass back, and is 20 percent lighter than its predecessor. The company started taking orders for the iPhone at midnight pacific time and sold out of all pre-orders in an hour. Bloomberg has forecasted the sales of nearly 48.2 million units by the end of December with other analysts hovering around 42-46 million and have calculated a target price of $775 for Apple. Though some grant the rise in Apple’s stock with the demand for the iPhone 5, analysts contribute part of the rise of Apple’s stock price to Bernanke’s Federal Reserve package.
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Editorial Staff