Global stock markets ended the month with their worst performance in two years. A flight to safety pushed the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield to an all-time low of 1.58%. The S&P 500 index fell 6.27%. This was the index’s eighth worst May in history, and its worst performance since its 8.20% loss in May 2010.  But that year the returns for the index actually totaled 15.06%. Currently, the S&P is down 7.66% from its April 2nd high, but it remains 5.16% ahead YTD with dividends included.

Global stock markets have stumbled since the start of the second quarter as the Chinese economy slowed, the euro zone crisis escalated, and U.S. manufacturing and employment gains tapered off.  The decline in stock prices has been accompanied by sharp increases in volatility.

In April, the S&P 500 stock index posted its first monthly decline since November. Stocks slipped on rising fear that the U.S. economic recovery might be faltering. The deep recession in Spain, combined with trouble in its banking sector and reports of a double dip recession in Britain highlighted risks in the developed markets and raised more questions about whether government belt tightening in Europe had gone too far.

S&P 500 Q1 returns totaled 12.59%. Best performance since Q1 1998. Surge fueled by good U.S. economic data, including unemployment rate ticking down and rising consumer spending. U.S small cap stocks underperformed U.S. large cap stocks but still managed a 12.44% gain. In non-U.S. developed markets and emerging markets small caps outperformed large caps.  Large value underperformed large growth around the globe. Small value outperformed small growth in the emerging markets and had mixed results in developed markets.

Next week marks the third anniversary of the bear market low (March 2009). The S&P 500 posted another broad-based gain, adding 4.06% in February, for an 8.59% gain YTD. It is the index’s best start since realizing 17.36% in January & February 1987. The S&P Small Cap 600 underperformed the mid and large-cap indices in February, but over the trailing ten-year period, the S&P Small Cap 600 has returned more than twice as much as the S&P 500 (7.68% versus 3.52%).

The S&P 500 gained 4.48% in January with dividends added, its best opening month since 1997 when the index increased 6.13% and went on to return  31.01% for the year.