U.S. equity returns were higher in 2017, with the median return for the 1,000 largest stocks by market cap 15.2%, increasing to 17% and 21% for the 500 largest and 100 largest, respectively. The FAANG stocks were up an average 50% on the year, more than twice the average of the broader market and 20% higher than the Nasdaq composite index.
Standard deviations between the three groups declined as the sets got smaller. 2017 standard deviations were lower than 2016, with greater disparity between the largest 500 and largest 100.
Stocks in the Nasdaq composite added $4.7 trillion in dollar value during the year, more than the $3.9 trillion gain during the three prior years and $40 billion more than 2013.
