2013 was a rewarding year for many equity investors as the three major U.S. market indices showed significant improvements over 2012.

The recovery in the markets spilled into Q3 as several indicators suggested improvements.

The U.S. economy continued to generate slow but steady gains in Q2, with GDP increasing 1.7 percent.

Real GDP increased at an annualized rate of 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

GDP growth slipped into negative territory during the fourth quarter, though analysts note much of the decline does not necessarily reflect a significant shift in the economy. 

The U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly fell by 0.3 percent to 7.8 percent in September, marking the lowest level of unemployment since January 2009.

The economy continued sputtering in the second quarter, with modest 1.5 percent GDP growth and unemployment remaining stubbornly above 8.0 percent.

Following more than two years of unemployment greater than 9 percent, the U.S. unemployment rate finally fell to 8.9 percent in October 2011

Despite domestic headlines throughout the year featuring continued high unemployment, a fierce debt ceiling debate and a U.S. credit rating downgrade as well as headlines abroad focused on the sovereign debt crisis, 2011 came to a close with many focused on the year’s positive news

While the technical definition of a recession has not been met in more than two years, numerous economic indicators provide  evidence to question the state of the economy

The economic recovery paused in the second quarter, rekindling bad memories from the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009

Following a largely positive second half of 2010, the economy continued to strengthen through the first quarter of 2011

2008 was characterized by political and economic headlines as the country officially entered a recession going into 2009.

Economic data provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for the second quarter of 2008 indicates that U.S. economic growth accelerated from the first quarter of 2008.