LPL Research

Even with some bumps in the road, we expect the economic expansion to continue through 2020 and help power forward this bull market.

After a three-and-a-half-month, largely uninterrupted rally in stocks, the period of calm ended last week as the coronavirus outbreak led to a bout of volatility.

Wall Street has often called this the most hated bull market in history, and for good reason.

U.S. stocks fell during the holiday-shortened week, with the S & P 500 notching its third weekly loss since October 2019.

U.S. stocks fell for the second straight week, as the S & P 500 Index slid as the coronavirus outbreak spread repidly within China and fears of a global outbreak increased.

Earnings growth was largely absent in 2019, but we expect it to pick up in 2020.

U.S. stocks rose again this week to fresh record highs, powering the S & P 500 Index to its 13th weekly gain out of the last 15 weeks.

With stocks at our year-end fair value target, the magnitude of a potential stock market advance in 2020 may be limited.

Third-quarter data showed the U.S. economy grew at an average pace for the economic expansion, with signs of weakening in manufacturing.

We discuss what the conflict with the Middle East might mean for stocks and assess ongoing risks.