2016 First Quarter In Review: Roller-Coaster Stock Run, Dollar Loses Ground

Thursday marks the end of the first quarter of 2016, and it has certainly been eventful.

The S&P 500 index is higher by around 1 percent since the start of the new year, while the Dow Jones index is higher by more than 1.50 percent. However, the NASDAQ Composite index is lower by nearly 3 percent.

The U.S. dollar exhibited strength throughout 2015, but is showing signs of cooling off. The greenback has lost pace against global currencies, including the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand dollars.

The British sterling has also lost ground over concerns of a British exit ("Brexit") from the European Union.

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Oil plunged below the $30 mark and traded as low as $27 in mid-January, but has since seen strong buying momentum.

Investors are entering the second quarter with some optimism, at least according to Kevin Daly, an investment committee member at Aberdeen Asset Management. The investment pro told Reuters that the first quarter was characterized by "the three Cs," including commodities, China and central banks.

Daly stated that a rebound in all of the "three Cs" should restore confidence in the markets. Specifically, he cited China and ECB stimulus activity and the U.S. Federal Reserve cooling rate hike expectations.

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