Eight years ago, the S&P 500 closed at its lowest level of the financial crisis, marking the end of the worst bear market since the Great Depression, down 57% from the highs. Going back to WWII, this is now the second-longest bull market ever at 97 months, with only the bull market during the 1990s longer. The S&P 500 is up 250% since the 2009 lows. This ranks as the third-best return during a bull market since WWII, with only the 1950s and 1990s bull markets up more. (LPL Research)

U.S. employers cut 36,957 jobs in February, a 19% decline from the month earlier.  That is a 40% year-over-year decrease. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, employers said they would hire 166,266 workers in the first two months of 2017, the highest January-February on record. The retail sector once again planned the most cuts. The biggest cuts came from J.C. Penney, which announced it is laying off 5,500 employees.

Make that 101. The S&P 500 might have closed lower for the third consecutive day yesterday, but it has now gone 101 days in a row without a one percent close lower. That is the longest streak since 105 in late 1995. Interestingly, that year had two streaks of more than 100 days. Taking another look at back-to-back losses, the S&P 500 had gone 25 trading sessions without two red days in a row, the longest run since 25 last summer. (LPL Research)

With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor I am Troy Reinhart.