The year 2023 was filled with unexpected twists and turns for the S&P 500 index. Despite its best efforts, it fell short of closing at a record high.
The index came close, reaching 4793 points on Thursday morning, just shy of its all-time high of 4797. However, by the end of the Christmas-shortened week, it settled at 4770, experiencing a modest increase of 0.32%. Nonetheless, it recorded a significant gain of 24.2% throughout the year, marking its largest increase since 2021. Interestingly, this was the first time since 2012 that the index failed to achieve a record high at least once during the year.
Similarly, the Nasdaq Composite struggled to reach a new record high, with an annual rise of only 43.4%. It saw a minor increase of 0.12% in the past week. In contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average managed to conquer new heights. After closing at a record on December 13th, the index continued to climb, ultimately finishing the year with a gain of 13.7%.
Despite falling short of certain expectations, it is fair to consider the year as a success, particularly considering the prevailing pessimism. The consensus opinion had predicted a recession in the U.S. for 2023, but those forecasts proved to be incorrect. In reality, the country experienced GDP growth exceeding 2% during the first half of the year, which accelerated to an impressive 4.9% in the third quarter. The fourth quarter is also predicted to show annualized growth of 2.3%, according to the Atlanta Federal Reserve’s GDPNow model. This serves as a reminder that economists are prone to making mistakes, and this incident will certainly not be the last.
Overall, 2023 was a year of surprises and contradictions in the market, leaving investors with a mix of emotions and providing valuable insights for the future.
The Year That Defied Expectations
Despite a few setbacks early on, corporate profits managed to stay strong, thanks to the momentum that carried throughout the year. The S&P 500 is on track to experience a modest 3% increase in earnings-per-share in 2023, with eight out of eleven sectors reporting growth. However, energy and materials firms faced significant declines as they tried to offset the unsustainable profitability they experienced in 2022 due to soaring commodity prices.
This unexpected economic strength had its own surprises in store. The Federal Reserve was compelled to raise interest rates much higher than anticipated at the beginning of the year. Initially, the market had predicted rate cuts by the end of 2023, but the more hawkish stance taken by the Fed resulted in a spike in bond yields and the unfortunate collapse of some regional banks. However, the situation reversed dramatically in the final months of the year, triggering a rally in the stock market. Interestingly, even foreign conflicts and political drama in Congress failed to dampen investor enthusiasm for long.
The surge of interest in artificial intelligence (AI) stocks certainly played a role in driving the market forward. Investors flocked to companies that were poised to benefit directly from AI advancements, including industry giants like Nvidia and Microsoft. Consequently, the market experienced a top-heavy rally during the first ten months of the year. Although the gains began to broaden by November, it’s worth noting that over two-thirds of S&P 500 stocks delivered returns lower than that of the index itself in 2023. This outcome caught many off guard.
Looking ahead, it’s highly likely that the S&P 500 will reach a new record early in January 2024. However, beyond that, predictions become increasingly uncertain.
