February 2015 Stock And Bond Index Returns

February 2015 Stock Market Summary

February was a big "up" month for stocks. Every stock category saw gains as market volatility decreased. The biggest gainers were International but US was no slouch this month either. Whether small cap or large cap US and developed markets international stocks were up anywhere from 4 to 6 %. Emerging markets was the worst performer in February but still up 2.98%.  Not bad!

The news to ignore this month is the Federal Reserve talking about raising interest rates, the stock market hitting all new highs, and oil dropping like a stone.  Why ignore these big headlines? Simply put, they bear no impact on a long-term investing strategy and your financial plan.

With February off to a good start, let's see what Jim has to say about the prospects of the new year. "You'll hear a lot of market pundits making their predictions for the market this time of year. Acting as if their crystal ball is better than everyone elses. In my opinion, only fools make such short-term predictions."

Spot on as usual Jim. Here's the monthly return numbers with stock charts:

One Month Returns By Asset Class

US Large Cap Core: 5.52%

US Large Cap Value: 4.64%

US Small Cap Core: 5.93%

US Small Cap Value: 4.48%

International Large Core: 5.77%

International Large Value: 6.16%

International Small Core: 6.40%

International Small Value:  6.61%

Emerging Markets: 2.98%

Short Term Bonds: (0.27%)