The Big Picture | 2007 Performance Review

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2007 Performance Review

Wednesday, January 02, 2008 | 06:18 AM

Some great charts and tables looking at the 2007 returns of various sectors, indices and stocks in today's WSJ.

Peter McKay looks at the winners and losers of large, mid, and small cap stocks; E.S. Browning reviews the various indices.

The bottom line for 2007: A money market account would have slightly edged out the S&P500, while a typical (junk-free) Bond portfolio would have handily trounced the equity benchmark index. You did best with the Nasdaq, 2nd best with the Dow, worst with the Russell 2000 . . .

Sources:
Stocks Leap Obstacles for Gains
E.S. BROWNING
January 2, 2008; Page R1
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119889054579156857.html

Winning Stocks Get Overseas Bounce
PETER A. MCKAY
January 2, 2008; Page R2
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119922564038060653.html

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Comments

Missing dividends. S&P was up 5.5%

Posted by: asdf | Jan 2, 2008 7:25:36 AM

Maybe someone can explain to me why they leave out dividends on the stock indices for these stupid analyses.

asdf and I agree. It happens constantly in all forms of media.

Posted by: Jay Weinstein | Jan 2, 2008 8:15:53 AM

Dividends? What? Return cash to the share owner? Absurd! We'll just borrow money and buy back stock!
Buy low, sell high. Prudent
Buy high, sell higher. Risky
Buy high sell lower? Recipe for disaster.

Thank you Citi WAMU, Countrywide.

Posted by: Ross | Jan 2, 2008 8:54:44 AM

The dividend vs. no dividend issue is a big one this year - Roubini also quotes the 3.5 number for the S&P, though as noted above, with dividends it's 5.49.

S&P website with returns:
http://www2.standardandpoors.com/portal/site/sp/en/us/page.topic/indices_500/2,3,2,2,0,0,0,0,0,5,1,0,0,0,0,0.html

Posted by: ajw | Jan 2, 2008 9:58:14 AM

Agreed about the dividends- this is plainly misreporting.
Wilshire 5000 up 5.73% in 2007:
http://www.wilshire.com/Indexes/calculator/

Posted by: Greg | Jan 2, 2008 10:20:51 AM

Agreed about the dividends- this is plainly misreporting.
Wilshire 5000 up 5.73% in 2007:
http://www.wilshire.com/Indexes/calculator/

Posted by: Greg | Jan 2, 2008 10:23:10 AM

Dividends? Cash?

Oh! You mean this gizmo sent to shareholders on a scheduled basis that serves to clarify how well management works?

But hey! Yogi Berra said (in the AFLAC commercial) "They even send you cash, which it's as good as money."

Even the poor duck appeared utterly kerflummoxed by the idea.

Posted by: Francois | Jan 2, 2008 11:58:50 AM