Investors Compare Their Performance to the Market So Far This Year

This week’s Sentiment Survey special question asked AAII members how they perceive the performance of the stocks they own or follow relative to the year-to-date returns of the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite. The results were mixed. Almost 28% of respondents say they are underperforming the two indexes, though some say they weren’t trailing by very much. Slightly more than 23% say the performance of their equity holdings is close to the performance of the two indexes. Approximately 20% of respondents say their portfolios are outperforming the two indexes.

Here is a sampling of the responses:

• “My allocation floated along stable, but a few points behind the S&P 500 and/or Nasdaq.”
• “Overall, the equities in my portfolio have done as well as, or a little better than, the S&P 500.”
• “Less volatile, somewhat lower returns, but I’m not just invested in large caps and am also taking a more defensive approach.”
• “The stocks I own have increased in value but not as much as the S&P 500.”
• “No perception about it. They are performing above market averages ... thankfully.”

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