Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT): +26.80%
2019 saw the continuation of the longest bull market in history for stocks. 2019 also saw the continuation of the longest running economic expansion in US history. All of the doom and gloom predictions ultimately fizzled.
- Trade tensions did not escalate into trade wars, and did not stop global economic expansion. New tariffs impacted specific companies and sectors, but they did not have major macroeconomic impact.
- US economic expansion did not end. It continued, and unemployment hit a 50 year low.
- China’s economy did not halt, it just slowed to a very healthy 6% GDP growth rate.
2019 played out much in the same fashion as the 2010s decade as a whole. There was low, but steady global economic expansion in the range of +2.5% – 3.25%. There was plenty of headline turmoil, but stocks mostly shrugged off the headlines allowing for historically low volatility. Interest rates were low, and US stocks outperformed international DM stocks and EM stocks.
VT Historical Returns:
- 2009: +32.65% 2015: -1.86%
- 2010: +13.08% 2016: +8.51%
- 2011: -7.50% 2017: +24.49%
- 2012: +17.12% 2018: -9.76%
- 2013: +22.95% 2019: +26.80%
- 2014: +3.67%
2019 Performance of Notable Index ETFs:
- SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY): +31.29%
- iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA): +21.94%
- iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM): +17.67%
- iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG): +8.68%
W. Swartz & Co., LLC – Managed Strategies
- W. Swartz Total Return (WSTR): +25.57% (after fees)
- BRAVO: +27.16% (after fees)
- ALPHA: +25.80% (after fees)
- LONG-TERM TACTICAL GROWTH: +31.21% (after fees)
- CORE FIXED INCOME: +8.34% (after fees)
- BRAVO FIXED INCOME: +8.61% (after fees)
– Wyatt Swartz
– 1/21/2020