The global stock market in 2024 closed today. Faced with the ever-changing economic environment and international situation, Hong Kong stocks have reversed the downward trend for four consecutive years. The Hang Seng Index rose 17.67% for the whole year, and the Hang Seng Technology Index rose 18.70% for the whole year. The Nasdaq index once again led the world with a 29.81% increase, followed closely by the S&P with a 23.84% increase, and the Dow Jones index has also risen 12.96% this year.
The A-share market experienced a "first suppression and then rise" trend throughout the year, with major stock indices experiencing a significant surge. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 12.67% for the year, closing above 3300 points, while the ChiNext Index rose 13.23%. The Sci Tech Innovation 50 Index rose 16.07% for the whole year, with the highest increase.
Most major European indices have performed weakly this year, with the German DAX index leading the way with an increase of 18.85%, followed closely by Italy's FTSE MIB with 12.63%, the UK's FTSE 100 only up 5.01%, France's CAC40 index down 3.04%, and Russia's RTS index down 17.56%.
Inventory of Major Global Index Performance in 2024
Review of Major Global Market Events in 2024
The Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, and the US stock market continues to rise
The US stock market remains optimistic this year around the improvement of inflation data and expectations of interest rate cuts. The Federal Reserve launched its first interest rate cut in four years in September this year, marking the first time since March 2020 that the Fed has reduced interest rates and signaling a shift towards a loose monetary policy cycle in the country. With the assistance of the AI boom, the three major stock indexes in the US continued their previous year's rise and repeatedly broke historical records. The S&P 500 index closed at a new historical high nearly 60 times this year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to 45000 points for the first time, and the Nasdaq broke 20000 points for the first time in its history. Since the beginning of the year, the Nasdaq has risen 29.81%, the S&P has risen 23.84%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen 12.96%.
Chinese policy combination punches, Hong Kong A-shares explode
On the eve of National Day on September 24th, the People's Bank of China unexpectedly released a package of policies, including reducing the reserve requirement ratio and policy interest rate to guide market interest rates to decline; Reduce mortgage interest rates and unify the minimum down payment ratio; Introduce new policy tools to support the development of the stock market. The policy combination has injected a "super stimulant" into the A-share and Hong Kong stock markets, and Chinese assets have set multiple records. The market enthusiasm has fully erupted, and trading volume has exploded. The market sentiment is positive. The Hang Seng Index rose 17.67% for the whole year, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 12.67%, and the Shenzhen Component Index rose 9.34%.
Japan bids farewell to the 'negative interest rate era', Japanese stocks rise steadily despite fluctuations
A series of reforms and innovations on the Tokyo Stock Exchange have highlighted the investment value of the Japanese stock market. More and more Japanese companies are responding to governance reforms and actively giving back to shareholders, resulting in sustained stock price increases. Against the backdrop of Buffett's continuous increase in Japanese stocks, global investors are also paying more attention to investing in Japan. The Bank of Japan's first interest rate hike since 2007, marking the end of the 8-year "era of negative interest rates," led to a rapid appreciation of the yen at the end of July, resulting in increased volatility in the stock market at high levels. The Nikkei 225 index rose steadily despite fluctuations, closing up 19.22% for the year.