Starting on the Right Foot | February 2023

Well, that's more like it! After a trying 2022, both the stock and bond markets got off on the right foot in 2023.

500 Index (VFIAX) gained 6.3% in January. SmallCap Index (VSMAX) did even better, returning 10.1%. Foreign stocks continued to outpace U.S. stocks with Total International Stock index (VTIAX) advancing 8.4%.

Bonds got off to a blistering start too ... at least for the bond market! Total Bond Market Index (VBTLX) gained 3.2% in January—the fund's sixth best month since its 1986 inception.

In fact, all but five Vanguard funds gained ground in January. The exceptions are Consumer Staples ETF (VDC), Health Care (VGHCX), Health Care ETF (VHT), Market Neutral (VMNFX) and Utilities ETF (VPU) with losses ranging from 0.2% to 1.6%. That's hardly anything to fret over.