To put it bluntly, it’s been an excellent ride for stocks since the end of the recession. Equities have continued to rally for roughly eight years and have more than recovered all their losses incurred during the credit crisis. All the major indexes have eclipsed record highs, and there seem to be no signs of stopping the gains.
The unfortunate thing is, it will eventually stop.
Market corrections – and pretty significant corrections – are normal. But it seems that investors have forgotten that fact with equities continuing to rise. And while no one can predict when one will finally occur, we do have history on our side.
For investors, the time to build an ark isn’t when it’s raining. It may be prudent to at least get back to best practices before that correction hits.
Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks.
Big Gains, High Valuations
When you’re in the basement, you have nowhere to go but up. And that describes U.S. equities to a ‘T’ since the Great Recession. Since hitting March 2009 lows of around 680, the S&P 500 – as represented by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) – has gained a staggering 260%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ have also surged and continue to make new record highs.
