The share of the American public that has any money in the stock market remains mired well below the level that prevailed before the financial crisis. Even as the S. & P. 500 charges higher, retail investors continue to exit the equity markets. “For most of this bull market, the individual investor has largely sat out,” said Paul Hickey, a co-founder of Bespoke Investment Group, a stock market research firm. Consumers in the United States are feeling good at the moment — and for good reason. The economy grew at an annual pace of 4.1 percent in the second quarter, the fastest clip since 2014.

Source: New York Times August 22, 2018 09:02 UTC