Stocks roared higher in 2024, with growth stocks in the U.S. finding particular strength as the year wore on. Meantime, international equities generally suffered from weaker local returns and a stronger U.S. dollar. Investors betting on a broadly lower (and flatter) yield curve during the fourth quarter saw the opposite as longer-term yields rose, even as the Federal Reserve continued to cut interest rates. Rate trends generally pressured bond returns in the U.S. and abroad.