U.S. investors pushed equity funds to their strongest quarterly performance since Q1 2019 as the U.S. labor market remained strong, Q3 earnings reports came in better than expected, and investors remained optimistic over China and U.S. trade negotiations. For Q4 2019, the average equity fund posted a 7.56% return, with Lipper’s World Equity Funds macro-classification (+9.26%) outpacing the other six major equity groups for the first quarter in nine. In this segment, I highlight the Q4, December, and 2019 performance results for equity mutual funds and ETFs.
Summary:
- For Q4 2019, equity funds (+7.56% on average) posted a plus-side return for the third quarter in four. Lipper’s World Equity Funds macro-classification (+9.26%) jumped to the top of the leaderboard for the first quarter in nine, followed by U.S. Diversified Equity Funds (+8.29%), and World Sector Equity Funds (+7.66%).
- The Domestic and World Sector Equity Funds macro-classifications housed four of the five best performing classifications in the equity universe for Q4, with Health/Biotechnology Funds (+18.48%) leading the macro-group.
- The Alternatives Funds macro-classification was dragged down by poor performance from Dedicated Short Bias Funds (-14.38%).
- Large-cap (+8.64%) and growth-oriented (+9.09%) domestic equity funds outpaced the other capitalization and style groups for Q4.
Click here or the Download Full Report link in the upper right-hand column of this page to download the Fourth Quarter 2019 FundMarket Insight Report: Equity Funds Post Strongest Quarterly Returns Since Q1 2019 and Best One-Year Returns Since 2009.
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