The 2021 battle between the bull and bear markets continues with the bulls having built a substantial lead so far. As of June 30th, the S&P 500® Index (“S&P 500”) was up 15.3% on a total return basis while other well-known indices also posted gains – ranging from 13.8% for the venerable Dow Jones Index to 12.5% for the growth- oriented NASDAQ Composite index.
What happens next will depend upon inflation, interest rates, and infrastructure (the three “I’s”) which in large part drove market gains in the first half of the year.
Our July 2021 Market Commentary provided by Peter W. Tuz, CFA, CFP® President & Portfolio Manager, Chase Investment Counsel.