Capital Markets Insights - 2021 Year in Review

Capital Markets Insights offers the best of our research into notable S&P 500 performers, DJIA performers, M&A deals, PE deals, IPOs, SPACs, Bankruptcies, Cost of Capital and private markets in 2021.

Executive Summary

• Major U.S. indices increased in 2021 as economy began to recover from the impact of Covid-19 
• The DJIA gained 18.7%, the S&P 500 added 26.9% and the NASDAQ increased 21.4% since December 31, 2020 
• U.S. companies raised a record $302 billion through stock market listings 
• Over 700 SPACs went public in 2021, more than 5 times the number from the year 2020 
• Initial jobless claims came in at 198,000 for the week ended December 25, down from nearly 900,000 in early January 
• The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes increased from 0.93% as of December 31, 2020 to 1.52% as of December 31, 2021 
• The CBOE Volatility Index (“VIX”) closed at 17.22 on December 31, 2021, a 24% decrease since December 31, 2020 
• The value of the U.S. Dollar strengthened as the market bet on tighter monetary policy