Asset managers and brokers-both the companies and their stocks-typically do well when the markets are riding high and run into trouble when they slump. That's why performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Asset Managers Index closely tracks that of the Stan-dard& Poor's 500-stock index. The group of stocks is an extreme bet on the direction of the markets, so the price swings are usually exaggerated relative to the S&P 500. When the economy improves, more investors will get back in the game, benefiting the financial firms that manage the new cash.
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