When the curtain closed on 2022, the iconic Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI), benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), and technology-dependent Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) all entered respective bear markets and produced their worst returns since 2008. The abysmal performance of these core stock indexes has a lot of investors asking whether a U.S. recession is unavoidable. Unfortunately, there is no crystal ball that allows us to look into the future and know with concrete certainty whether a recession is coming.
Since hitting its 2022 low in November, Bitcoin has come surging back. In fact, the Federal Reserve announced a 25-basis-point hike at its latest meeting. Loosening monetary policy, or a less restrictive one, is a welcome sign for investors because it can promote economic growth and lead to rising portfolio values.
The tech-heavy index jumped nearly 11% in the first month of the year. Here were the top performers.