LPL Research writes:  “The bull market will celebrate its tenth birthday on March 9, 2019. During that period, the S&P 500 Index has increased more than fourfold in value, producing a total return of 410% (17.7% annualized) while rising 314% in price.

A generous bird helped out with our company messaging this week… nest egg planning here!

LPL Research writes, “This week we reassess the stock market landscape following the latest rally. Specifically, we answer five of the most common questions we’ve received recently. We use multiple lenses to assess the stock market, including fundamentals, valuations, and technical analysis.”  Those questions are:

According to LPL Research, “The rally continues, as the S&P 500 Index gained for the seventh week out of the past eight, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Russell 2000 Index, and Nasdaq all closed higher for the eighth consecutive week.

According to LPL Research, “Earnings growth slowed in the fourth quarter but was still solid. With two-thirds of S&P 500 Index companies having reported results so far, corporate America has delivered solid earnings growth—in the mid-to-high teens—for the quarter.

According to LPL Research, “2019 is off to a roaring start, as the S&P 500 Index gained 7.9% for its best January since 1987. Stocks’ strong January comes on the heels of the worst December in 87 years. What happens now?

LPL Research addresses the concerns about “Brexit’s uncertainty continuing to cloud Europe’s economy. On January 15, more than two-thirds of the U.K.

Fourth quarter earnings reporting begins this week. Over the next five days (January 14–18), 35 companies in the S&P 500 Index will report quarterly results, highlighted by several big banks.

This week, LPL Research looks “at stock valuations to try to gauge the potential opportunity for stocks. Amid the dizzying volatility and news cycle that investors have had to deal with lately, it can be difficult for many investors to take a step back and see beyond the daily headlines.

The #SantaClausRally looked iffy until just a couple of days ago, although it’s still going to be a bumpy ride.   Here are market observations on the crazy week that was from LPL Research.