2013 will go down as one of the best years in history for U.S. stock investors with the S&P 500 poised for a gain of more than 30%.
Yet the U.S. wasn’t even the top developed market this year. Japanese stocks turned in even stronger performance as the Nikkei 225 surged nearly 60%.
Other areas of the market delivering big rallies this this year included small-cap stocks, clean energy, biotechs, social media and specialized financial firms.
Here are some of the top-performing ETFs in 2013:
On the other side of the coin, this year’s biggest flops included miners, emerging markets, precious metals, commodities and volatility hedges.
Here are some of the worst-performing ETFs in 2013 that may appeal to contrarian investors:
Looking ahead to 2014, here are four potential market scenarios and how to invest for each one.
Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk
Data for ETF performance: Morningstar
Disclaimer: The information in this material is not intended to be personalized financial advice and should not be solely relied on for making financial decisions. All investments involve risk and various investment strategies will not always be profitable. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
