Investors have been bullish on equities for more than a decade, and 2019 was no different as the bull market continued.
Stocks rose slightly on the last day of the year, and equities surged to record highs despite a year capped by investor fears of a coming recession, an ongoing global trade war, and presidential pressure on the Federal Reserve, which responded by cutting interest rates three times during 2019.
The S&P 500 Index ended 2019 with a 28.9% gain — its strongest performance since 2013 when it returned 29.6%.
The Nasdaq Composite was no slouch either, advancing 0.3% the last day of 2019, ending the day at 8,972.60. The Nasdaq had a good year, as well as a good day, rallying 35.2% at the end of 2019 - its best one-year performance in six years.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average made the most impressive gains, ending the final day of last year with a gain of 76.30 points, or 0.3% at 28,538.44, and rising 22.3% in 2019 - its best performance since 2017.
Over the past decade, the S&P 500 has surged more than 188%. That’s good news for investors because the broad index’s total return, including dividends, reached an apex of 255% for the entire decade.
So far, there does not appear to be any end in sight to this bull market, as 2019’s equity stock winners gear up for another robust performance in 2020.
Here, in ascending order, are the top 20 equity stocks of 2019.
20. FBHS-US Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc.
Headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., Fortune Brands Home & Security began trading on the NYSE on October 4, 201. Fortune Brands ended 2018 at $37.99 a share and began 2020 at $65.34 a share, for a 72% return on investment in 2019 with a current dividend yield of 1.5%.
