Stocks retreated yesterday, with the Dow sliding more than 200 points, as investors weighed mounting evidence of a slowing global economy after the European Central Bank slashed its gross domestic product forecasts and pledged continued support for the flagging eurozone economy.
 
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the bear market low hit on March 9th, 2009.  The S&P 500 has risen 347% over the10 years since the financial crisis low, period richly rewarding investors.
 
The European Central Bank announced new measures to support a slowing economy, including a new round of long-term loans to European financial institutions, while issuing a surprise pledge to hold off on any interest-rate increases until at least the end of the year.  The announcement follows updated growth projections from the central bank, with the ECB forecasting growth of just 1.1% in 2019, down from a previous estimate of 1.7%. Analysts and economists, however, questioned whether the moves will be enough to stop the slowdown of the eurozone economy.
 
The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits in early March fell slightly, keeping so-called jobless claims near the lowest levels in a half-century.
 
The productivity of the American workforce rose solidly again in the fourth quarter, reflecting a recent upturn that could bode well for the U.S. economy if it’s sustained.  U.S. productivity advanced at an annual pace of 1.9% in the final three months of 2018.  The rate of productivity — the key to a higher standard of living for American families — rose 1.8% year-over-year. That’s the fastest 12-month gain since 2015.
 
With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, I'm Tyler Simones