S&P 500 Index Average Returns After Record Highs Since 1950, the S&P 500 has continued to reach record highs, but rarely in a straight line. Image: LPL Financial LLC

Why Are Dividends and Buybacks Hitting Record Highs? Corporate stock buybacks and dividends are booming, thanks to the tax cuts and low interest rates.Unfortunately, artificially low interest rates are associated with unnecessary debt and a rise of corporate debt-to-GDP since the Great Recession.

Howard Marks on market’s record highs, potential risks Howard Marks speaks about market’s record highs and doesn’t see a lot of euphoria. However, we are in a Fed-induced bubble due to ultra low rates.

The S&P 500 Hits All-Time High, After 6 Months Without A Record High. So, What Now? Can history help us to predict the future? Here’s a bullish case: the S&P 500 has been higher 17 out of 18 times a year later, since 1954. Source: LPL Research

Global Debt Hits a Fresh Record Global debt hits a record high of nearly $253 trillion, or 322% of global GDP. Image: International Monetary Fund

S&P 500 All-Time Highs Today, S&P 500 jumps to record high on strong earnings. This chart shows S&P 500 all-time highs since 1982. Image: Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC.

Global Debt Nears Record Global debt hits $246 trillion (or 320% of GDP) and is just $2 trillion shy of all-time high. You may also like “Total Debt by Sector for Developed & Emerging Economies.” Image: International Monetary Fund

What Recession? The S&P 500 Hits All-Time High …but many of the world’s major indexes are still a long way from their all-time closing highs. Image: Bloomberg

Domestic China Equities and Bonds Held by Overseas Investors Foreign holdings of Chinese equities rose to a record high this year, despite the U.S.-China trade war. Image: Bloomberg

U.S. Household Debt American debt hits a record high of $13.95 trillion and represents about 73% of GDP vs. about 83% a decade ago. Image: Reuters