In article , "Leon" wrote:

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...


The performance of the market has left me totally under whelmed since
01/01/00.


I would say you were not paying close attention.

It has done quite well beginning in March of 03 for about 12 months. Again
in July of 06 till July of 07 it did quite well,

Who's not paying attention here? He said "since 01/01/00". Not "since March of
03".

DJIA close on 31 Dec 1999: 11,497
DJIA close yesterday: 12,466

That's 8.4% in just over eight years, for an annualized rate of return right
at a whopping ONE PERCENT. After adjusting for inflation, stocks have been a
horrendous money *loser* "since 01/01/00".

Over all the Dow Industrials alone is up from about 7,900 to 14,0000
spanning the period of March 2003 to July of 2007.

Conveniently ignoring the 61% *loss* between 14 Jan 2000 and 9 Oct 2002...

That is a 78% increase
in just over 4 years, averaging an 18% gain every year during that period.

A 78% increase in 4-1/3 years is a 14.4% annual rate, not 18%. (You're not
taking compounding into account.)

From March 2003 to "Now" it is up about 60%, bringing the average down to,
but still a very healthy yearly average gain of 12.5%.

57% in 4 yrs 10 mos = 9.8% annually, not 12.5. (Compounding again.)

What would impress you, a better money manager perhaps? ;~)

For starters:
- addressing the point raised
- not cherry-picking time periods
- correctly calculating annual rate of return

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.