"…It's hard to say where markets will head in 2019 ? but before we get into the nitty-gritty of a new year, it's worth taking one final look back at 2018 to see how it impacted investors."

Prepared by Lorimer Wilson, editor of munKNEE.com - Your KEY To Making Money!

[Editor's Note: This version* of the original article by Jeff Desjardins has been edited ([ ]), restructured and abridged (?) by 35% for a FASTER - and easier - read. Please note: This complete paragraph must be included in any re-posting to avoid copyright infringement.]

"We'll start with broad asset classes, including stocks, bonds, commodities, and cash:

As you can see, it's mostly a sea of red. Cash turned out to be best option for the year, and several asset classes were crushed over the course of 2018, including crude oil and nearly all stocks.

…Breaking down the S&P 500 further into its sectors, it's clear that nearly every industry struggled simultaneously.

…The one exception to the general trend in S&P 500 stocks was Healthcare, which posted 4.7% returns over the course of 2018. Companies like Merck, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer all saw their stocks grow by double-digits, and it's possible the sector could stay strong in 2019 as the world continues to age.

Here's how major currency markets fared.

The U.S. dollar was the strongest major currency, and the Japanese yen had an impressive year as well. The Aussie dollar was routed, and now sits at 10-year lows.

Lastly, here's an ad hoc list of some of the biggest winners and losers in 2018 ? it includes some of the stocks and assets that saw notable gains or declines over the course of the year:

Interestingly, it was the finer things in life that outperformed most major asset classes. Both fine wine and fine art gained close to 10%, leaving most other indices behind in the dust. AMD had a roller coaster year, finishing up nearly 80% as the biggest winner on the S&P 500. That said, owners of AMD stock may see things differently: the stock had actually tripled by September, and has fallen precipitously ever since.

Given the above recap, what are you investing in for 2019?

(*The author's views and conclusions are unaltered and no personal comments have been included to maintain the integrity of the original article. Furthermore, the views, conclusions and any recommendations offered in this article are not to be construed as an endorsement of such by the editor.)

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The post How Every Asset Class, Currency, and Sector Performed in 2018 appeared first on munKNEE.com.