Fei Mei Chan
Former Director, Core Product Management, S&P Dow Jones Indices
2023 Has Already Been Trepidatious
A sizzling start for Canadian equities in 2023 found itself fizzling as March began. Despite having a return of as much as 7% in late January/early February, through March 17, 2023, the S&P/TSX Composite Index was up 0.7% YTD. In line with historical trends, the S&P/TSX Composite Low Volatility Index underperformed, declining 0.1%. Volatility rose…
Equities Recover
In the first seven weeks of 2023, U.S. equities regained a third of the ground lost in 2022 (down 18.1% in 2022 and up 6.5% YTD through February 17, 2023). Exhibit 1 shows that since its last rebalance, the S&P 500® Low Volatility Index, which seeks to mute the gyrations of the market in both…
A Lackluster 2022 for Canadian Equities
With less than two weeks remaining in 2022, the S&P/TSX Composite Index is down 5.7% YTD (a relatively mild decline compared to the S&P 500®’s 17.9% drop). The S&P/TSX Composite Low Volatility Index has underperformed, which is unusual for a down year, falling by 9.6% YTD. Volatility continued its uptrend since the last rebalance, rising…
A Stalwart Delivers
U.S. equities struggled again in the past three months. The last rebalance for the S&P 500® Low Volatility Index was in August 2022 and the S&P 500 has since declined 7.0%. The S&P 500 Low Volatility Index, which has historically moderated the performance of the benchmark, lost 5.1% in the same period. For the entirety…
Taking Higher Interest Rates in STRIDE
When it rains, it pours, and there’s no lack of bad news in 2022. The equity market is in solid bear territory, with the S&P 500® down 22% YTD. Inflation is high, and the Federal Reserve has aggressively hiked interest rates in recent months. The latest cycle of rate increases has happened faster than at…
Equity Woes Continue
Canadian equities continued their decline, losing another 8.76% (through September 15, 2022) since the last rebalance of the S&P/TSX Low Volatility Index on June 17. Characteristically for a falling market, Low Volatility outperformed (by 13 basis points), declining 8.63%. As it had done in June, volatility again increased for every sector of the S&P/TSX Composite…
Low Volatility Holds Its Own
If the first six months of 2022 were defined by the woes of equities, the year’s second half has been defined (so far!) by a comeback. Since hitting a low in mid-June, the S&P 500® has gained an impressive 17.1% through Aug. 18, 2022. In such an environment, low volatility strategies are expected to underperform,…
Bearing Through
On Monday, June 13, 2022, the S&P 500® officially entered bear market territory, having lost more than 20% of the value from its peak on Jan. 3, 2022. Just as we didn’t know on Jan. 3 that the market was going to decline, today we don’t know the full extent and duration of the new…
- Categories Equities, S&P 500 & DJIA
- Tags bear market, core, S&P 500, U.S. Equities, US FA
- Categories
- Equities, S&P 500 & DJIA
Canadian Equities Go the Way of Global Equities
There has been no shortage of macroeconomic headwinds in 2022. Canadian equities were an exception in posting gains for the first three months of the year, but they have since fallen in step with most global equity markets. The S&P/TSX Composite Index lost 12.07% since its last rebalance on March 17, 2022. Uncommonly, the S&P/TSX…
A Reliable Strategy in Unreliable Times
Try as one might, it is hard not to notice the woes of equities this year. Through May 19, 2022, the S&P 500® has declined 18%, losing 9% in the last three months alone. This pain was felt across most sectors of the index, with only Consumer Staples, Energy, and Utilities in positive territory for…