FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Kim Shepherd
+1-773-252-9986
kshepherd.ext@wilshire.com
WILSHIRE 5000 POSTS SIXTH CONSECUTIVE POSITIVE MONTH IN AUGUST
Wilshire US Real Estate Securities IndexSM Up 14.68 Percent
SANTA MONICA, Calif., September 3, 2009 — The original broad measure of the U.S. stock market, the Wilshire 5000 Total Market IndexSM (Wilshire 5000), posted its sixth consecutive monthly gain in August with a 3.57 percent total return for the month* reflecting a $300 billion paper gain, according to Wilshire Associates Incorporated, a leading global independent investment consulting and services firm.
This is the longest such streak since the six months ended January 2007 and represents a cumulative advance of 41.64 percent since the end of February. After hitting its recent closing low on March 9, 2009, the U.S. stock market has rallied 54.34 percent, bringing investors back to levels not seen since early October of last year.
“From an historical perspective, the stock market’s recent advance has been impressive in both magnitude and duration,” stated Steven J. Foresti, managing director and head of the Investment Research Group of Wilshire Consulting, a business unit of Wilshire Associates. “We have just witnessed the second best 6-month run in the Wilshire 5000’s 39-year history and one of only 13 occasions that the index has recorded a consecutive monthly winning streak of six months or more,” he added.
“Equity investors have been encouraged by recent signs of economic stabilization, but it remains to be seen whether these early signs of recovery are sustainable or merely a temporary sugar-high in the face of fiscal stimulus programs such as Cash for Clunkers,” noted Foresti. “A key concern going forward is how much of today’s sales have been borrowed from the future,” he commented.
Small capitalization stocks continued to lead the market recovery with the Wilshire US Small-Cap IndexSM up 4.95 percent for August and extending year-to-date gains to 27.88 percent versus monthly and year-to-date advances of 3.41 percent and 15.16 percent, respectively, for the Wilshire US Large-Cap IndexSM. The Wilshire US Micro-Cap IndexSM had an up month with a gain of 4.40 percent. Financial stocks, which suffered the worst losses during the market selloff, continued their rebound in August with a monthly gain of 11.19 percent. The Consumer Discretionary and Industrials sectors also posted solid August returns of 4.02 percent and 3.84 percent, respectively.
Taking a world view, the Wilshire Global Total Market Index SM, closed at 2127.71, which represents a monthly gain of 3.81 percent. The Wilshire Global Large-Cap IndexSM gained 3.59 percent while the Wilshire Global Small-Cap IndexSM posted a gain of 5.53 percent.
The Wilshire Global exUS IndexSM continued to outpace the U.S. market with a 3.97 percent total return in August, bringing its year-to-date return to 31.83 percent. The European region was the best geographic performer during August as the Wilshire Europe IndexSM surged 6.63 percent for the month. The Wilshire Latin America IndexSM, which is up 59.80 percent through the first eight months of 2008, boasts the best regional return year-to-date. Wilshire Asia/Pacific IndexSM posted the narrowest gain with a return of 1.73 percent for the month.
In the United States, the Wilshire US Real Estate Investment Trust IndexSM (Wilshire REIT) rose 14.55 percent and the Wilshire US Real Estate Securities IndexSM (Wilshire RESI) added 14.68 percent. The Wilshire Global REIT IndexSM posted a 13.12 percent gain. The broader Wilshire Global RESISM, which represents 23 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia/Pacific and Africa, closed the month up 10.76 percent.
GLOBAL RETURNS AT A GLANCE:
| Index Name |
Index Close |
Point Change MTD |
% Change MTD |
YTD |
1-Year |
3-Year |
5-Year |
| Wilshire 5000 |
10512.49 |
353.88 |
3.57% |
16.54% |
-18.45% |
-15.36% |
6.53% |
| Wilshire Global TMI |
2127.71 |
73.11 |
3.81% |
25.19% |
-15.53% |
-10.83% |
26.10% |
| Wilshire Global exUS Index |
1858.59 |
66.32 |
3.97% |
31.83% |
-13.53% |
-7.50% |
46.94% |
| Wilshire Europe Index |
2480.29 |
148.78 |
6.63% |
29.42% |
-17.69% |
-13.08% |
40.61%
|
| Wilshire Asia / Pacific Index |
1144.39 |
15.89 |
1.73% |
30.81% |
-5.94% |
-5.35% |
40.75% |
| Wilshire Latin America Index |
7402.99 |
148.36 |
2.16% |
59.80% |
-14.39% |
39.39% |
193.65% |
| Wilshire Middle East & Africa Index |
2420.29 |
107.90 |
4.82% |
31.19% |
-17.34% |
0.59% |
84.01% |
WILSHIRE GLOBAL SECTOR WINNERS AND LOSERS BY REGION:
| United States |
Europe |
Middle East & Africa |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| TOP 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Financials |
11.19% |
Financials |
12.94% |
Industrials |
7.76% |
| Consumer Discretionary |
4.02% |
Utilities |
8.78% |
Consumer Discretionary |
6.78% |
| Industrials |
3.84% |
Industrials |
7.83% |
Telecom Services |
6.46% |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| BOTTOM 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Energy |
0.69% |
Consumer Discretionary |
2.74% |
Consumer Staples |
2.19% |
| Utilities |
0.58% |
Health Care |
2.62% |
Health Care |
-2.66% |
| Telecom Services |
-2.31% |
Consumer Staples |
2.45% |
Utilities |
-4.89% |
| Latin America |
Asia/Pacific |
World |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| TOP 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Telecom Services |
4.56% |
Health Care |
6.35% |
Financials |
7.56% |
| Financials |
4.31% |
Consumer Staples |
2.90% |
Industrials |
4.56% |
| Materials |
3.86% |
Industrials |
2.66% |
Utilities |
3.56% |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| BOTTOM 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Energy |
-1.70% |
Financials |
1.10% |
Energy |
1.95% |
| Consumer Discretionary |
-4.09% |
Utilities |
0.75% |
Consumer Staples |
1.84% |
| Information Technology |
-5.12% |
Telecom Services |
-0.32% |
Telecom Services |
1.57% |
For more information about the Wilshire Index Family please e-mail WilshireIndexes@wilshire.com.
*All values as of August 31, 2009. Index values are in price values. All returns are total returns and reflect float-adjusted market capitalization.
About Wilshire Associates
Wilshire Associates, a leading global, independent investment consulting and services firm,
provides consulting services, analytics solutions and customized investment products to plan
sponsors, investment managers and financial intermediaries. Its business units include,
Wilshire Analytics, Wilshire Consulting, Wilshire Funds Management and Wilshire Private Markets.
The firm was founded in 1972, revolutionizing the industry by pioneering the application of
investment analytics and research to investment management for the institutional marketplace.
Wilshire also is credited with helping to develop the field of quantitative investment
analysis that uses mathematical tools to analyze market risks. All other business units
evolved from Wilshire's strong analytics foundation. Wilshire developed the Wilshire 5000
Total Market IndexSM, the first asset/liability models for
pension funds, the first U.S. equity style metrics work and many other "firsts" as the firm
grew to approximately 350 employees serving the investment needs of institutional and high
net worth clients around the world.
Based in Santa Monica, California, Wilshire provides services to clients in more than 20
countries representing approximately 600 organizations. With ten offices on four continents,
Wilshire Associates and its affiliates are dedicated to providing clients with the highest
quality counsel, products and services. Wilshire is a registered service mark of Wilshire
Associates Incorporated. Please visit www.wilshire.com for more information.
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