With the first quarter of 2018 now behind us, below is a full rundown of asset class performance during the quarter. For each ETF in the matrix, we also include its performance in March as well as since the 1/26 high for the S&P 500.
As shown, the S&P 500 (SPY), Dow 30 (DIA), and Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) all fell quite significantly in March, which was enough to drag both the S&P 500 and Dow 30 into negative territory for the quarter. For the S&P 500, Q1 2018 was the first down quarter since Q3 2015, and it was the first down first quarter since Q1 2009.
While large caps got hit in March, smallcaps and midcaps actually posted solid gains.Looking at S&P 500 sectors, the worst performing areas in March were Financials, Materials, and Technology, while Energy and Utilities were actually up nicely. For the full first quarter, though, Technology and Consumer Discretionary were the only two sectors in the black.
Outside of the US, Canada was down the most in Q1, while Brazil was up the most. Commodities generally did well in Q1 with the exception of natural gas and silver, while Treasury ETFs fell across the board (as interest rates rose).
