1st Quarter 2025 Market Commentary. During q1, the equal weight s&p 500 index rose 7.8%, the nasdaq composite was up 9.1% and the small company russell 2000 index rose 4.8%. For the s&p 500, consensus estimates forecast year over year earnings growth of approximately 3.4% for the first quarter 2025.

The stock market continued to climb in the first quarter. As the first quarter of 2025 concludes, the rise of the u.s.