Investors positioned for higher stock and bond prices during the year have not been disappointed. With the Federal Reserve pursuing a lower interest rate policy, bond yields declined for most of the year with a commensurate increase in bond prices. Stock prices have mostly trended higher as well with some of the price increase a recovery from last year's fourth-quarter selloff. Returns across most asset classes have been favorable as seen in the below chart. The top half of the chart below displays the asset classes with leading returns and is comprised of U.S. market