As we call game, set, and match for the year that was 2024, we look forward to yet another round of intense competitive play over the next twelve months.

This quarter, we played our usual game of “tag” with the broader stock indexes.

This quarter, the invisible thermals holding the S&P 500 aloft continued to lift the market to ever greater heights.

The market surged this quarter and, somewhat uncharacteristically for such a breathless sprint (especially one fueled principally by tech), our stocks outpaced it.

As the US economy closes the year on a pleasingly upbeat note, the S&P 500 climbed its own wall of worry to finish either satisfyingly or nerve-wrackingly high, depending upon one’s point of view.

In many ways, it was a Cruel Summer. Extreme weather, multiple high-profile strikes, and the threat of yet another government shutdown cast long shadows.