The US stock and bond market performed very well last year. US equities as measured by the S&P 500 yielded total returns that were well above the historical average and US Treasury bonds also earned above average total returns with a year-end return of 2.1%. The chart below shows the annual total returns of S&P …
Continue reading ‘The S&P 500 and US Treasury Bonds Historical Total Returns by Year: Chart’ »
The performance of the global economy in 2017 was good. Equity markets soared worldwide from emerging to developed markets. The following infographic from Schroders shows some of the key economic events from last year and their outlook for 2018: Click to enlarge Source: Schroders
The following chart shows the top countries for Research & Development spending as a share of GDP. South Korea tops the ranking followed by Israel and Japan. Click to enlarge Source: Chart of the Week: Canada Lags in R&D Spending, Canadian Investment Review Related: Why South Korea is an ideal breeding ground for Robots, The …
Continue reading ‘The Top Countries for R&D Investment: Chart’ »
Last week I posted a chart showing the world’s fastest growing economies next year. The chart below shows the slowest growing economies in 2018 as predicted by The Economist magazine: Click to enlarge Source:Chart of the Day: The World’s Slowest Growing Economies, Canadian Investment Review The UK is projected to have low economic growth next …
Continue reading ‘The World’s Slowest Growing Economies in 2018: Chart’ »
Most equity markets have performed well this year with the US market and major emerging markets increasing by double digit percentages. So investors looking to deploy cash may be wondering which equity markets are cheap as we head into 2018. The following table compares the valuation ratio of global markets: Click to enlarge Source: Which of …