Major Asset Classes | April 2026 | Performance Review

Markets rebounded in April following the selloff in March. In some cases, you have to squint to see a recovery, but April’s gains were broad, lifting all the major asset classes to some degree, based on results for a set of ETFs.

US stocks led the way. The Vanguard Total US Stock Market ETF (VTI) surged 10.4% last month. The rally left US equities comfortably in the black year to date, with a 6.0% advance.

Stocks in emerging markets (VWO) and US real estate investment trusts (VNQ) were the second- and third-best performers last month. The weakest increase in April came from US bonds (BND), which edged up a thin 0.1%.

Commodities (GSG) extended their rally, rising for a fourth straight month, propelled by turmoil in the Middle East that has raised energy costs. Gold (GLD), however, didn’t participate, and edged down 1.5%.

Year to date, nearly every slice of global markets is posting an advance through April’s close. The downside exceptions: foreign corporate bonds (PICB), government bonds in developed markets ex-US (BWX), and bitcoin (GBTC).

The Global Market Index (GMI) recovered its losses from the previous month, jumping to a new record high in April. GMI is an unmanaged benchmark (maintained by The Capital Spectator) that holds all the major asset classes (except cash) in market-value weights via ETFs and serves as a competitive benchmark for globally diversified, multi-asset-class portfolio strategies.

GMI rallied 8.1% last month and is now up 6.0% for the year to date. It has enjoyed a strong winning streak over the past year, advancing in 12 of the past 13 months—its strongest bull run in a decade.