Q3Quarterly Market Review
Third Quarter 2015
Quarterly Market Review
Third Quarter 2015
Overview:
Market Summary
World Stock Market Performance
World Asset Classes
US Stocks
International Developed Stocks
Emerging Markets Stocks
Select Country Performance
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
Commodities
Fixed Income
Global Diversification
Quarterly Topic: Should Investors Sell
after a “Correction”?
This report features world capital market performance
and a timeline of events for the past quarter. It begins
with a global overview, then features the returns of
stock and bond asset classes in the US and
international markets.
The report also illustrates the performance of globally
diversified portfolios and features a quarterly topic.
US Stock
Market
Global
Real Estate
International
Developed
Stocks
US Bond
Market
Global
Bond
Market
ex US
-7.25% -10.57% -0.54% +1.23%
Emerging
Markets
Stocks
BONDSSTOCKS
-17.90%
Market Summary
3
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio.
Market segment (index representation) as follows: US Stock Market (Russell 3000 Index), International Developed Stocks (MSCI World ex USA Index [net div.]), Emerging Markets (MSCI Emerging Markets Index [net div.]),
Global Real Estate (S&P Global REIT Index), US Bond Market (Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index), and Global Bond ex US Market (Citigroup WGBI ex USA 1−30 Years [Hedged to USD]). The S&P data are provided by
Standard & Poor's Index Services Group. Russell data © Russell Investment Group 1995–2015, all rights reserved. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Barclays data provided by Barclays Bank PLC. Citigroup bond
indices © 2014 by Citigroup.
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
+2.01%
World Stock Market Performance
4
Graph Source: MSCI ACWI Index. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved.
It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Performance does not reflect the expenses associated with management of an actual portfolio. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
MSCI All Country World Index with selected headlines from Q3 2015
These headlines are not offered to explain market returns. Instead, they serve as a reminder that investors should view daily
events from a long-term perspective and avoid making investment decisions based solely on the news.
140
160
180
200
220
Jul Aug Sep
“China Accelerates
Efforts to Stem Selloff”
“Iran, World Powers
Reach Nuclear Deal”
“US and Cuba Set to Formally
Reestablish Diplomatic Relations”
“Existing Home Sales Surge,
Prices Hit Record”
“US Economy Picks Up,
but Stays in Its Rut”
“US Oil Prices Fall to
Six-Year Low”
“Eurozone Economic
Growth Slows”
“US Consumer Prices Rise
for Sixth Straight Month”
“US 10-Year Note
Closes Below 2%”
“Consumers Take on
More Debt, Signaling
Confidence in Economy”
“Janet Yellen
Expects Interest Rate
Increase This Year”
“US Second Quarter
GDP Grows 3.9%”
“Russia Begins
Air Strikes in Syria”
“Global Markets to Log
Worst Quarter since 2011”
World Asset Classes
5
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio.
The S&P data is provided by Standard & Poor's Index Services Group. Russell data © Russell Investment Group 1995–2015, all rights reserved. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Dow Jones data (formerly Dow
Jones Wilshire) provided by Dow Jones Indexes. Barclays data provided by Barclays Bank PLC.
Looking at broad market indices, the US equity market outperformed both developed ex US and emerging markets during the third quarter.
US REITs recorded the highest returns, outperforming equity markets.
The value effect was negative in the US, developed ex US, and emerging markets. Small caps outperformed large caps in the non-US
and emerging markets but underperformed in the US. The US dollar appreciated against most currencies.
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
3.09
1.23
0.00
-4.29
-6.44
-8.03
-8.39
-10.57
-10.73
-11.92
-12.05
-16.67
-17.90
-19.15
Dow Jones US Select REIT Index
Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index
One-Month US Treasury Bills
S&P Global ex US REIT Index (net div.)
S&P 500 Index
MSCI World ex USA Small Cap Index (net div.)
Russell 1000 Value Index
MSCI World ex USA Index (net div.)
Russell 2000 Value Index
Russell 2000 Index
MSCI World ex USA Value Index (net div.)
MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index (net div.)
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (net div.)
MSCI Emerging Markets Value Index (net div.)
-5.29
-6.44
-7.25
-8.39
-10.73
-11.92
-13.06
Large Cap Growth
Large Cap
Marketwide
Large Cap Value
Small Cap Value
Small Cap
Small Cap Growth
Ranked Returns for the Quarter (%)
US Stocks
6
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio.
Market segment (index representation) as follows: Marketwide (Russell 3000 Index), Large Cap (S&P 500 Index), Large Cap Value (Russell 1000 Value Index), Large Cap Growth (Russell 1000 Growth Index), Small Cap
(Russell 2000 Index), Small Cap Value (Russell 2000 Value Index), and Small Cap Growth (Russell 2000 Growth Index). World Market Cap represented by Russell 3000 Index, MSCI World ex USA IMI Index, and MSCI
Emerging Markets IMI Index. Russell 3000 Index is used as the proxy for the US market. Russell data © Russell Investment Group 1995–2015, all rights reserved. The S&P data are provided by Standard & Poor's Index
Services Group.
The US equity market recorded negative performance
for the third quarter.
Small caps underperformed large caps.
Value stocks underperformed growth stocks among
marketwide indices. However, in small caps, the effect
was reversed with small cap value outperforming small
cap growth.
53%US Market
$21.0 trillion
World Market Capitalization—US Period Returns (%) * Annualized
Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years**
Marketwide -5.45 -0.05 12.53 13.28 6.92
Large Cap -5.29 -0.61 12.40 13.34 6.80
Large Cap Value -8.96 -4.42 11.59 12.29 5.71
Large Cap Growth -1.54 3.17 13.61 14.47 8.09
Small Cap -7.73 1.25 11.02 11.73 6.55
Small Cap Value -10.06 -1.60 9.18 10.17 5.35
Small Cap Growth -5.47 4.04 12.85 13.26 7.67
International Developed Stocks
7
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio.
Market segment (index representation) as follows: Large Cap (MSCI World ex USA Index), Small Cap (MSCI World ex USA Small Cap Index), Value (MSCI World ex USA Value Index), and Growth (MSCI World ex USA
Growth). All index returns are net of withholding tax on dividends. World Market Cap represented by Russell 3000 Index, MSCI World ex USA IMI Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index. MSCI World ex USA IMI Index
used as the proxy for the International Developed market. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved.
Developed markets outside the US underperformed the
US equity market but outperformed emerging markets
indices in US dollar terms.
Small caps outperformed large caps.
Value underperformed growth indices across
all size ranges.
-12.05
-10.57
-9.11
-8.03
-10.40
-8.89
-7.41
-6.46
Value
Large Cap
Growth
Small Cap
Ranked Returns (%) Local currency US currency
37%International
Developed
Market
$14.7 trillion
World Market Capitalization—International Developed * Annualized
Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years**
Large Cap -6.69 -10.14 4.60 3.42 2.92
Small Cap -0.34 -3.71 7.48 5.74 4.23
Value -9.65 -14.32 3.56 2.61 2.12
Growth -3.75 -5.88 5.59 4.18 3.65
Period Returns (%)
Emerging Markets Stocks
8
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio.
Market segment (index representation) as follows: Large Cap (MSCI Emerging Markets Index), Small Cap (MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index), Value (MSCI Emerging Markets Value Index), and Growth (MSCI
Emerging Markets Growth Index). All index returns are net of withholding tax on dividends. World Market Cap represented by Russell 3000 Index, MSCI World ex USA IMI Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index. MSCI
Emerging Markets IMI Index used as the proxy for the emerging market portion of the market. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved.
Emerging markets indices underperformed developed
markets indices (including the US) in US dollar terms
during the third quarter.
Small cap indices outperformed large cap indices.
Value underperformed growth indices across all size
ranges.
-11.74
-10.76
-12.10
-13.47
-16.67
-16.69
-17.90
-19.15
Small
Growth
Large Cap
Value
Ranked Returns (%) Local currency US currency
10%Emerging
Markets
$3.8 trillion
World Market Capitalization—Emerging Markets * Annualized
Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years**
Large Cap -15.48 -19.28 -5.27 -3.58 4.27
Small Cap -9.80 -15.23 -1.09 -2.43 6.72
Value -17.38 -22.70 -7.66 -5.09 4.12
Growth -13.63 -15.89 -2.95 -2.12 4.35
Period Returns (%)
-3.10
-5.51
-5.96
-6.81
-9.62
-10.14
-11.40
-11.45
-11.90
-13.44
-14.83
-15.28
-16.59
-17.08
-18.01
-18.45
-19.95
-21.26
-23.28
-23.76
-24.88
-26.20
-33.66
Hungary
Czech Republic
India
Qatar
Poland
UAE
Philippines
Mexico
Korea
Chile
Russia
Egypt
Taiwan
Thailand
Malaysia
South Africa
Turkey
Peru
China
Colombia
Indonesia
Greece
Brazil
Ranked Emerging Markets Returns (%)
-1.12
-1.86
-4.17
-5.43
-6.30
-6.36
-6.60
-6.97
-7.12
-7.25
-7.38
-7.46
-8.77
-9.31
-9.58
-9.97
-11.06
-11.24
-14.92
-14.98
-16.54
-16.93
-18.79
Ireland
Denmark
Italy
Israel
France
Finland
Austria
Switzerland
Sweden
US
Belgium
New Zealand
Netherlands
Portugal
UK
Germany
Japan
Spain
Canada
Australia
Norway
Hong Kong
Singapore
Ranked Developed Markets Returns (%)
Select Country Performance
9
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio.
Country performance based on respective indices in the MSCI World ex US IMI Index (for developed markets), Russell 3000 Index (for US), and MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index. All returns in USD and net of withholding tax
on dividends. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Russell data © Russell Investment Group 1995–2015, all rights reserved. UAE and Qatar have been reclassified as emerging markets by MSCI, effective May 2014.
Ireland again recorded the highest country performance in developed markets and Singapore and Hong Kong the lowest for the third quarter.
In emerging markets, Hungary and the Czech Republic posted the highest returns, while China’s equity performance dominated news
headlines as its market recorded one of the lowest country returns.
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
10
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio.
Number of REIT stocks and total value based on the two indices. All index returns are net of withholding tax on dividends. Total value of REIT stocks represented by Dow Jones US Select REIT Index and the S&P Global ex US
REIT Index. Dow Jones US Select REIT Index used as proxy for the US market, and S&P Global ex US REIT Index used as proxy for the World ex US market. Dow Jones US Select REIT Index data provided by Dow Jones ©.
S&P Global ex US REIT Index data provided by Standard and Poor’s Index Services Group © 2014.
US REITs were one of the best-performing asset
classes during the third quarter, outperforming equities.
Although REITs outside the US produced negative
absolute returns, global REITs outside the US
outperformed broad market equity indices.
59%US
$565 billion
96 REITs
41%World ex US
$565 billion
243 REITs
(22 other
countries)
Total Value of REIT Stocks
-4.29
3.09
Global REITs (ex US)
US REITs
Ranked Returns (%)
Period Returns (%) * Annualized
Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years**
US REITs -2.84 11.82 9.92 12.31 6.69
Global REITs (ex US) -5.30 -2.47 4.53 6.64 3.11
Commodities
11
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Index is not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio.
All index returns are net of withholding tax on dividends. Securities and commodities data provided by Bloomberg.
Commodities were broadly negative during the
third quarter. The Bloomberg Commodity Index Total
Return fell 14.47%. The energy complex led the decline
with WTI crude oil dropping 27.39% and natural gas
shedding 15.03%.
Grains also posted negative returns; Chicago wheat
lost 17.54%, while soybeans dropped 14%.
Livestock was mixed with lean hogs up 13.42% and
live cattle falling 14.59%.
Asset Class YTD Q3 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years**
Commodities -15.80 -14.47 -25.99 -16.02 -8.89 -5.67
Period Returns (%) * Annualized
-27.39
-26.30
-20.51
-19.77
-19.75
-17.54
-16.02
-15.03
-14.59
-14.00
-13.47
-11.00
-10.76
-10.74
-10.52
-8.31
-7.13
-5.02
-4.40
13.42
WTI Crude Oil
Brent Oil
Heating Oil
Unleaded Gas
Soybean Oil
Wheat
Zinc
Natural Gas
Live Cattle
Soybean
Nickel
Cotton
Corn
Copper
Coffee
Aluminum
Silver
Gold
Sugar
Lean Hogs
Ranked Returns for Individual Commodities (%)
2.04
3.71
2.65
3.55
10-Year US
Treasury
State and
Local
Municipals
AAA-AA
Corporates
A-BBB
Corporates
Bond Yields across Issuers
Fixed Income
12
Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Yield
curve data from Federal Reserve. State and local bonds are from the Bond Buyer Index, general obligation, 20 years to maturity, mixed quality. AAA-AA Corporates represent the Bank of America Merrill Lynch US Corporates,
AA-AAA rated. A-BBB Corporates represent the Bank of America Merrill Lynch US Corporates, BBB-A rated. Barclays data provided by Barclays Bank PLC. US long-term bonds, bills, inflation, and fixed income factor data
© Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation (SBBI) Yearbook™, Ibbotson Associates, Chicago (annually updated work by Roger G. Ibbotson and Rex A. Sinquefield). Citigroup bond indices © 2014 by Citigroup. The BofA Merrill Lynch
Indices are used with permission; © 2014 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated; all rights reserved. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation.
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
Interest rates across the US fixed
income markets generally decreased
during the third quarter. The yield on
the 5-year Treasury note dropped 25
basis points to end the period at
1.38%. The yield on the 10-year
Treasury note decreased 27 basis
points to end the quarter at 2.06%.
The 30-year Treasury bond fell 22
basis points to finish with a yield of
2.88%. Yields on the short end of the
curve were relatively unchanged.
Short-term corporate bonds returned
0.30%, while intermediate-term
corporate bonds returned 0.71%.
Short-term municipal bonds
returned 0.74%, while intermediate-
term municipal bonds returned
1.68%. Municipal general obligation
and revenue bonds experienced
similar returns.
Period Returns (%)
Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years**
BofA Merrill Lynch Three-Month US Treasury Bill Index 0.02 0.02 0.06 0.08 1.33
BofA Merrill Lynch 1-Year US Treasury Note Index 0.32 0.25 0.27 0.33 1.88
Citigroup WGBI 1−5 Years (hedged to USD) 1.09 1.57 1.34 1.50 2.97
Barclays Long US Government Bond Index 0.22 8.62 2.78 6.18 6.92
Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index 1.13 2.94 1.71 3.10 4.64
Barclays US Corporate High Yield Index -2.45 -3.43 3.51 6.15 7.25
Barclays Municipal Bond Index 1.77 3.16 2.88 4.14 4.64
Barclays US TIPS Index -0.80 -0.83 -1.83 2.55 4.02
* Annualized
-1
0
1
2
3
4
US Treasury Yield Curve
1
Yr
5
Yr
10
Yr
30
Yr
9/30/15
9/30/14
6/30/15
$0
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
$60,000
$70,000
$80,000
$90,000
12/1988 12/1993 12/1998 12/2003 12/2008 12/2013
Growth of Wealth: The Relationship between Risk and Return
Stock/Bond Mix
Global Diversification
13
Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
Diversification does not eliminate the risk of market loss. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect expenses associated
with the management of an actual portfolio. Asset allocations and the hypothetical index portfolio returns are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent actual performance. Global Stocks represented by MSCI All
Country World Index (gross div.) and Treasury Bills represented by US One-Month Treasury Bills. Globally diversified allocations rebalanced monthly, no withdrawals. Data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Treasury bills ©
Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation Yearbook™, Ibbotson Associates, Chicago (annually updated work by Roger G. Ibbotson and Rex A. Sinquefield).
These portfolios illustrate the performance of different
global stock/bond mixes and highlight the benefits of
diversification. Mixes with larger allocations to stocks
are considered riskier but have higher expected
returns over time.
-9.34
-7.03
-4.71
-2.36
0.00
100% Stocks
75/25
50/50
25/75
100% Treasury Bills
Ranked Returns (%)
Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years**
100% Stocks -6.65 -6.16 7.52 7.39 5.14
75/25 -4.93 -4.55 5.69 5.67 4.12
50/50 -3.24 -2.98 3.82 3.85 2.92
25/75 -1.60 -1.47 1.93 1.96 1.54
100% Treasury Bills 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01
* AnnualizedPeriod Returns (%)
9/2015
100% Stocks
75/25
50/50
25/75
100% Treasury Bills
Stock prices in markets around the world
fluctuated dramatically for the week ended
August 27. On Monday, August 24, the Dow
Jones Industrial Average fell 1,089 points—
a larger loss than the “Flash Crash” in May
2010—before rallying to close down 588. Prices
fell further on Tuesday before recovering sharply
on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Although
the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average
rose 0.9% and 1.1%, respectively, for the week,
many investors found the dramatic day-to-day
fluctuations unsettling.
Based on closing prices, the S&P 500 Index
declined 12.35% from its record high of 2130.82
on May 21 through August 24. Financial
professionals generally describe any decline of
10% or more from a previous peak as a
“correction,” although it is unclear what investors
should do with this information. Should they seek
to protect themselves from further declines by
selling, or should they consider it an opportunity
to purchase stocks at more favorable prices?
Based on S&P 500 data, stock prices have
declined 10% or more on 28 occasions between
January 1926 and June 2015. Obviously, every
decline of 20% or 30% or 40% began with a
decline of 10%. As a result, some investors
believe that avoiding large losses can be
accomplished easily by eliminating equity
exposure entirely once the 10% threshold
has been breached.
Market timing is a seductive strategy. If we could
sell stocks prior to a substantial decline and hold
cash instead, our long-run returns could be
exponentially higher. But successful market
timing is a two-step process: determining when to
sell stocks and when to buy them back. Avoiding
short-term losses runs the risk of avoiding even
larger long-term gains. Regardless of whether
stock prices have advanced 10% or declined 10%
from a previous level, they always reflect (1) the
collective assessment of the future by millions of
market participants and (2) the expectation that
equities in both the US and markets around the
world have positive expected returns.
Our research shows that US stocks have typically
delivered above-average returns over one, three,
and five years following consecutive negative
return days resulting in a 10% or more decline.
Results from non-US markets are similar.
Contrary to the beliefs of some investors,
dramatic changes in security prices are not a
sign that the financial system is broken but
rather what we would expect to see if markets
are working properly.
The world is an uncertain place. The role
of securities markets is to reflect new
developments—both positive and negative—
in security prices as quickly as possible.
Investors who accept dramatic price fluctuations
as a characteristic of liquid markets may have
a distinct advantage over those who are easily
frightened or confused by day-to-day events
and may be more likely to achieve long-run
investing success.
References
“Wild Ride Leaves Investors Grasping,” Wall Street Journal,
August 25, 2015.
“Investors Scramble as Stocks Swing,” Wall Street Journal,
August 25, 2015.
Should Investors Sell After a "Correction"?
14
Adapted from “Should Investors Sell After a Correction?” by Weston Wellington, Down to the Wire column, September 2015. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP ("Dimensional") is an investment advisor registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Diversification does not eliminate the risk of market loss. There is no guarantee investment strategies will be successful. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All expressions of opinion are subject to
change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions. This content is provided for informational purposes, and it is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement of any particular security, products,
or services.
Third Quarter 2015

Financial Synergies | Q3 2015 Market Review

  • 1.
  • 2.
    Quarterly Market Review ThirdQuarter 2015 Overview: Market Summary World Stock Market Performance World Asset Classes US Stocks International Developed Stocks Emerging Markets Stocks Select Country Performance Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Commodities Fixed Income Global Diversification Quarterly Topic: Should Investors Sell after a “Correction”? This report features world capital market performance and a timeline of events for the past quarter. It begins with a global overview, then features the returns of stock and bond asset classes in the US and international markets. The report also illustrates the performance of globally diversified portfolios and features a quarterly topic.
  • 3.
    US Stock Market Global Real Estate International Developed Stocks USBond Market Global Bond Market ex US -7.25% -10.57% -0.54% +1.23% Emerging Markets Stocks BONDSSTOCKS -17.90% Market Summary 3 Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Market segment (index representation) as follows: US Stock Market (Russell 3000 Index), International Developed Stocks (MSCI World ex USA Index [net div.]), Emerging Markets (MSCI Emerging Markets Index [net div.]), Global Real Estate (S&P Global REIT Index), US Bond Market (Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index), and Global Bond ex US Market (Citigroup WGBI ex USA 1−30 Years [Hedged to USD]). The S&P data are provided by Standard & Poor's Index Services Group. Russell data © Russell Investment Group 1995–2015, all rights reserved. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Barclays data provided by Barclays Bank PLC. Citigroup bond indices © 2014 by Citigroup. Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns +2.01%
  • 4.
    World Stock MarketPerformance 4 Graph Source: MSCI ACWI Index. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Performance does not reflect the expenses associated with management of an actual portfolio. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. MSCI All Country World Index with selected headlines from Q3 2015 These headlines are not offered to explain market returns. Instead, they serve as a reminder that investors should view daily events from a long-term perspective and avoid making investment decisions based solely on the news. 140 160 180 200 220 Jul Aug Sep “China Accelerates Efforts to Stem Selloff” “Iran, World Powers Reach Nuclear Deal” “US and Cuba Set to Formally Reestablish Diplomatic Relations” “Existing Home Sales Surge, Prices Hit Record” “US Economy Picks Up, but Stays in Its Rut” “US Oil Prices Fall to Six-Year Low” “Eurozone Economic Growth Slows” “US Consumer Prices Rise for Sixth Straight Month” “US 10-Year Note Closes Below 2%” “Consumers Take on More Debt, Signaling Confidence in Economy” “Janet Yellen Expects Interest Rate Increase This Year” “US Second Quarter GDP Grows 3.9%” “Russia Begins Air Strikes in Syria” “Global Markets to Log Worst Quarter since 2011”
  • 5.
    World Asset Classes 5 Pastperformance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. The S&P data is provided by Standard & Poor's Index Services Group. Russell data © Russell Investment Group 1995–2015, all rights reserved. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Dow Jones data (formerly Dow Jones Wilshire) provided by Dow Jones Indexes. Barclays data provided by Barclays Bank PLC. Looking at broad market indices, the US equity market outperformed both developed ex US and emerging markets during the third quarter. US REITs recorded the highest returns, outperforming equity markets. The value effect was negative in the US, developed ex US, and emerging markets. Small caps outperformed large caps in the non-US and emerging markets but underperformed in the US. The US dollar appreciated against most currencies. Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns 3.09 1.23 0.00 -4.29 -6.44 -8.03 -8.39 -10.57 -10.73 -11.92 -12.05 -16.67 -17.90 -19.15 Dow Jones US Select REIT Index Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index One-Month US Treasury Bills S&P Global ex US REIT Index (net div.) S&P 500 Index MSCI World ex USA Small Cap Index (net div.) Russell 1000 Value Index MSCI World ex USA Index (net div.) Russell 2000 Value Index Russell 2000 Index MSCI World ex USA Value Index (net div.) MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index (net div.) MSCI Emerging Markets Index (net div.) MSCI Emerging Markets Value Index (net div.)
  • 6.
    -5.29 -6.44 -7.25 -8.39 -10.73 -11.92 -13.06 Large Cap Growth LargeCap Marketwide Large Cap Value Small Cap Value Small Cap Small Cap Growth Ranked Returns for the Quarter (%) US Stocks 6 Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Market segment (index representation) as follows: Marketwide (Russell 3000 Index), Large Cap (S&P 500 Index), Large Cap Value (Russell 1000 Value Index), Large Cap Growth (Russell 1000 Growth Index), Small Cap (Russell 2000 Index), Small Cap Value (Russell 2000 Value Index), and Small Cap Growth (Russell 2000 Growth Index). World Market Cap represented by Russell 3000 Index, MSCI World ex USA IMI Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index. Russell 3000 Index is used as the proxy for the US market. Russell data © Russell Investment Group 1995–2015, all rights reserved. The S&P data are provided by Standard & Poor's Index Services Group. The US equity market recorded negative performance for the third quarter. Small caps underperformed large caps. Value stocks underperformed growth stocks among marketwide indices. However, in small caps, the effect was reversed with small cap value outperforming small cap growth. 53%US Market $21.0 trillion World Market Capitalization—US Period Returns (%) * Annualized Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years** Marketwide -5.45 -0.05 12.53 13.28 6.92 Large Cap -5.29 -0.61 12.40 13.34 6.80 Large Cap Value -8.96 -4.42 11.59 12.29 5.71 Large Cap Growth -1.54 3.17 13.61 14.47 8.09 Small Cap -7.73 1.25 11.02 11.73 6.55 Small Cap Value -10.06 -1.60 9.18 10.17 5.35 Small Cap Growth -5.47 4.04 12.85 13.26 7.67
  • 7.
    International Developed Stocks 7 ThirdQuarter 2015 Index Returns Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Market segment (index representation) as follows: Large Cap (MSCI World ex USA Index), Small Cap (MSCI World ex USA Small Cap Index), Value (MSCI World ex USA Value Index), and Growth (MSCI World ex USA Growth). All index returns are net of withholding tax on dividends. World Market Cap represented by Russell 3000 Index, MSCI World ex USA IMI Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index. MSCI World ex USA IMI Index used as the proxy for the International Developed market. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Developed markets outside the US underperformed the US equity market but outperformed emerging markets indices in US dollar terms. Small caps outperformed large caps. Value underperformed growth indices across all size ranges. -12.05 -10.57 -9.11 -8.03 -10.40 -8.89 -7.41 -6.46 Value Large Cap Growth Small Cap Ranked Returns (%) Local currency US currency 37%International Developed Market $14.7 trillion World Market Capitalization—International Developed * Annualized Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years** Large Cap -6.69 -10.14 4.60 3.42 2.92 Small Cap -0.34 -3.71 7.48 5.74 4.23 Value -9.65 -14.32 3.56 2.61 2.12 Growth -3.75 -5.88 5.59 4.18 3.65 Period Returns (%)
  • 8.
    Emerging Markets Stocks 8 ThirdQuarter 2015 Index Returns Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Market segment (index representation) as follows: Large Cap (MSCI Emerging Markets Index), Small Cap (MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index), Value (MSCI Emerging Markets Value Index), and Growth (MSCI Emerging Markets Growth Index). All index returns are net of withholding tax on dividends. World Market Cap represented by Russell 3000 Index, MSCI World ex USA IMI Index, and MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index. MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index used as the proxy for the emerging market portion of the market. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Emerging markets indices underperformed developed markets indices (including the US) in US dollar terms during the third quarter. Small cap indices outperformed large cap indices. Value underperformed growth indices across all size ranges. -11.74 -10.76 -12.10 -13.47 -16.67 -16.69 -17.90 -19.15 Small Growth Large Cap Value Ranked Returns (%) Local currency US currency 10%Emerging Markets $3.8 trillion World Market Capitalization—Emerging Markets * Annualized Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years** Large Cap -15.48 -19.28 -5.27 -3.58 4.27 Small Cap -9.80 -15.23 -1.09 -2.43 6.72 Value -17.38 -22.70 -7.66 -5.09 4.12 Growth -13.63 -15.89 -2.95 -2.12 4.35 Period Returns (%)
  • 9.
    -3.10 -5.51 -5.96 -6.81 -9.62 -10.14 -11.40 -11.45 -11.90 -13.44 -14.83 -15.28 -16.59 -17.08 -18.01 -18.45 -19.95 -21.26 -23.28 -23.76 -24.88 -26.20 -33.66 Hungary Czech Republic India Qatar Poland UAE Philippines Mexico Korea Chile Russia Egypt Taiwan Thailand Malaysia South Africa Turkey Peru China Colombia Indonesia Greece Brazil RankedEmerging Markets Returns (%) -1.12 -1.86 -4.17 -5.43 -6.30 -6.36 -6.60 -6.97 -7.12 -7.25 -7.38 -7.46 -8.77 -9.31 -9.58 -9.97 -11.06 -11.24 -14.92 -14.98 -16.54 -16.93 -18.79 Ireland Denmark Italy Israel France Finland Austria Switzerland Sweden US Belgium New Zealand Netherlands Portugal UK Germany Japan Spain Canada Australia Norway Hong Kong Singapore Ranked Developed Markets Returns (%) Select Country Performance 9 Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Country performance based on respective indices in the MSCI World ex US IMI Index (for developed markets), Russell 3000 Index (for US), and MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Index. All returns in USD and net of withholding tax on dividends. MSCI data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Russell data © Russell Investment Group 1995–2015, all rights reserved. UAE and Qatar have been reclassified as emerging markets by MSCI, effective May 2014. Ireland again recorded the highest country performance in developed markets and Singapore and Hong Kong the lowest for the third quarter. In emerging markets, Hungary and the Czech Republic posted the highest returns, while China’s equity performance dominated news headlines as its market recorded one of the lowest country returns. Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns
  • 10.
    Real Estate InvestmentTrusts (REITs) 10 Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Number of REIT stocks and total value based on the two indices. All index returns are net of withholding tax on dividends. Total value of REIT stocks represented by Dow Jones US Select REIT Index and the S&P Global ex US REIT Index. Dow Jones US Select REIT Index used as proxy for the US market, and S&P Global ex US REIT Index used as proxy for the World ex US market. Dow Jones US Select REIT Index data provided by Dow Jones ©. S&P Global ex US REIT Index data provided by Standard and Poor’s Index Services Group © 2014. US REITs were one of the best-performing asset classes during the third quarter, outperforming equities. Although REITs outside the US produced negative absolute returns, global REITs outside the US outperformed broad market equity indices. 59%US $565 billion 96 REITs 41%World ex US $565 billion 243 REITs (22 other countries) Total Value of REIT Stocks -4.29 3.09 Global REITs (ex US) US REITs Ranked Returns (%) Period Returns (%) * Annualized Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years** US REITs -2.84 11.82 9.92 12.31 6.69 Global REITs (ex US) -5.30 -2.47 4.53 6.64 3.11
  • 11.
    Commodities 11 Third Quarter 2015Index Returns Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Index is not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. All index returns are net of withholding tax on dividends. Securities and commodities data provided by Bloomberg. Commodities were broadly negative during the third quarter. The Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return fell 14.47%. The energy complex led the decline with WTI crude oil dropping 27.39% and natural gas shedding 15.03%. Grains also posted negative returns; Chicago wheat lost 17.54%, while soybeans dropped 14%. Livestock was mixed with lean hogs up 13.42% and live cattle falling 14.59%. Asset Class YTD Q3 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years** Commodities -15.80 -14.47 -25.99 -16.02 -8.89 -5.67 Period Returns (%) * Annualized -27.39 -26.30 -20.51 -19.77 -19.75 -17.54 -16.02 -15.03 -14.59 -14.00 -13.47 -11.00 -10.76 -10.74 -10.52 -8.31 -7.13 -5.02 -4.40 13.42 WTI Crude Oil Brent Oil Heating Oil Unleaded Gas Soybean Oil Wheat Zinc Natural Gas Live Cattle Soybean Nickel Cotton Corn Copper Coffee Aluminum Silver Gold Sugar Lean Hogs Ranked Returns for Individual Commodities (%)
  • 12.
    2.04 3.71 2.65 3.55 10-Year US Treasury State and Local Municipals AAA-AA Corporates A-BBB Corporates BondYields across Issuers Fixed Income 12 Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Yield curve data from Federal Reserve. State and local bonds are from the Bond Buyer Index, general obligation, 20 years to maturity, mixed quality. AAA-AA Corporates represent the Bank of America Merrill Lynch US Corporates, AA-AAA rated. A-BBB Corporates represent the Bank of America Merrill Lynch US Corporates, BBB-A rated. Barclays data provided by Barclays Bank PLC. US long-term bonds, bills, inflation, and fixed income factor data © Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation (SBBI) Yearbook™, Ibbotson Associates, Chicago (annually updated work by Roger G. Ibbotson and Rex A. Sinquefield). Citigroup bond indices © 2014 by Citigroup. The BofA Merrill Lynch Indices are used with permission; © 2014 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated; all rights reserved. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns Interest rates across the US fixed income markets generally decreased during the third quarter. The yield on the 5-year Treasury note dropped 25 basis points to end the period at 1.38%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note decreased 27 basis points to end the quarter at 2.06%. The 30-year Treasury bond fell 22 basis points to finish with a yield of 2.88%. Yields on the short end of the curve were relatively unchanged. Short-term corporate bonds returned 0.30%, while intermediate-term corporate bonds returned 0.71%. Short-term municipal bonds returned 0.74%, while intermediate- term municipal bonds returned 1.68%. Municipal general obligation and revenue bonds experienced similar returns. Period Returns (%) Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years** BofA Merrill Lynch Three-Month US Treasury Bill Index 0.02 0.02 0.06 0.08 1.33 BofA Merrill Lynch 1-Year US Treasury Note Index 0.32 0.25 0.27 0.33 1.88 Citigroup WGBI 1−5 Years (hedged to USD) 1.09 1.57 1.34 1.50 2.97 Barclays Long US Government Bond Index 0.22 8.62 2.78 6.18 6.92 Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index 1.13 2.94 1.71 3.10 4.64 Barclays US Corporate High Yield Index -2.45 -3.43 3.51 6.15 7.25 Barclays Municipal Bond Index 1.77 3.16 2.88 4.14 4.64 Barclays US TIPS Index -0.80 -0.83 -1.83 2.55 4.02 * Annualized -1 0 1 2 3 4 US Treasury Yield Curve 1 Yr 5 Yr 10 Yr 30 Yr 9/30/15 9/30/14 6/30/15
  • 13.
    $0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000 $80,000 $90,000 12/1988 12/1993 12/199812/2003 12/2008 12/2013 Growth of Wealth: The Relationship between Risk and Return Stock/Bond Mix Global Diversification 13 Third Quarter 2015 Index Returns Diversification does not eliminate the risk of market loss. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for direct investment. Index performance does not reflect expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Asset allocations and the hypothetical index portfolio returns are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent actual performance. Global Stocks represented by MSCI All Country World Index (gross div.) and Treasury Bills represented by US One-Month Treasury Bills. Globally diversified allocations rebalanced monthly, no withdrawals. Data © MSCI 2015, all rights reserved. Treasury bills © Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation Yearbook™, Ibbotson Associates, Chicago (annually updated work by Roger G. Ibbotson and Rex A. Sinquefield). These portfolios illustrate the performance of different global stock/bond mixes and highlight the benefits of diversification. Mixes with larger allocations to stocks are considered riskier but have higher expected returns over time. -9.34 -7.03 -4.71 -2.36 0.00 100% Stocks 75/25 50/50 25/75 100% Treasury Bills Ranked Returns (%) Asset Class YTD 1 Year 3 Years** 5 Years** 10 Years** 100% Stocks -6.65 -6.16 7.52 7.39 5.14 75/25 -4.93 -4.55 5.69 5.67 4.12 50/50 -3.24 -2.98 3.82 3.85 2.92 25/75 -1.60 -1.47 1.93 1.96 1.54 100% Treasury Bills 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 * AnnualizedPeriod Returns (%) 9/2015 100% Stocks 75/25 50/50 25/75 100% Treasury Bills
  • 14.
    Stock prices inmarkets around the world fluctuated dramatically for the week ended August 27. On Monday, August 24, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1,089 points— a larger loss than the “Flash Crash” in May 2010—before rallying to close down 588. Prices fell further on Tuesday before recovering sharply on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Although the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9% and 1.1%, respectively, for the week, many investors found the dramatic day-to-day fluctuations unsettling. Based on closing prices, the S&P 500 Index declined 12.35% from its record high of 2130.82 on May 21 through August 24. Financial professionals generally describe any decline of 10% or more from a previous peak as a “correction,” although it is unclear what investors should do with this information. Should they seek to protect themselves from further declines by selling, or should they consider it an opportunity to purchase stocks at more favorable prices? Based on S&P 500 data, stock prices have declined 10% or more on 28 occasions between January 1926 and June 2015. Obviously, every decline of 20% or 30% or 40% began with a decline of 10%. As a result, some investors believe that avoiding large losses can be accomplished easily by eliminating equity exposure entirely once the 10% threshold has been breached. Market timing is a seductive strategy. If we could sell stocks prior to a substantial decline and hold cash instead, our long-run returns could be exponentially higher. But successful market timing is a two-step process: determining when to sell stocks and when to buy them back. Avoiding short-term losses runs the risk of avoiding even larger long-term gains. Regardless of whether stock prices have advanced 10% or declined 10% from a previous level, they always reflect (1) the collective assessment of the future by millions of market participants and (2) the expectation that equities in both the US and markets around the world have positive expected returns. Our research shows that US stocks have typically delivered above-average returns over one, three, and five years following consecutive negative return days resulting in a 10% or more decline. Results from non-US markets are similar. Contrary to the beliefs of some investors, dramatic changes in security prices are not a sign that the financial system is broken but rather what we would expect to see if markets are working properly. The world is an uncertain place. The role of securities markets is to reflect new developments—both positive and negative— in security prices as quickly as possible. Investors who accept dramatic price fluctuations as a characteristic of liquid markets may have a distinct advantage over those who are easily frightened or confused by day-to-day events and may be more likely to achieve long-run investing success. References “Wild Ride Leaves Investors Grasping,” Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2015. “Investors Scramble as Stocks Swing,” Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2015. Should Investors Sell After a "Correction"? 14 Adapted from “Should Investors Sell After a Correction?” by Weston Wellington, Down to the Wire column, September 2015. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP ("Dimensional") is an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Diversification does not eliminate the risk of market loss. There is no guarantee investment strategies will be successful. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions. This content is provided for informational purposes, and it is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement of any particular security, products, or services. Third Quarter 2015