U.S. equities started the year strongly, but gains were erased towards the end of the month as a result of coronavirus fears. The S&P 500® was flat in January, while smaller-caps lagged, with the S&P MidCap 400® and the S&P SmallCap 600® down 3% and 4%, respectively.
International markets declined, with the S&P Developed Ex-U.S BMI and S&P Emerging BMI down 2% and 4%, respectively.
Low Volatility was the top performing factor; not unrelatedly, Utilities was the top performing sector with Real Estate close behind. Similarly, Momentum and Growth were the next best factor index performers, while Info Tech and Communication Services were the second and fourth best performing sectors. Meanwhile, in a reversal from last year’s outperformance, Value lagged Growth.
