Just about 0%

[ck4829]

That's how much the stock market has grown over the last 5 years collectively.

http://ichart.finance.yahoo.com/z?s=%5EIXIC&t=5y&q=l&l=on&z=m&c=%5EGSPC,%5EDJI&a=v&p=s

And RW'ers try to say Bush is "doing wonders" for the economy.

RW'ers! Stagnation is not a good thing.

[benburch]

1. Add in the inflation since then, and it is a loss. nt

[WCGreen]

2. You are exactly correct....

The Dems should make it an issue...

Five years of treading water....

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. Smoke and mirrors, fuzzy math. Repugs are good at both. nt

[wakeme2008]

4. That is one reason Wall Street is giving $$$ to Dems

When ppl were getting 15% -20% growth in their stock accounts, sure they were paying higher taxes when they sold but they came up ahead. 5 years of zero growth...

[survivor999]

5. And think of the great gains

Made by people's 401Ks or 403bs...

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

6. Maybe the jig is up for the stock market

Why should investors put their hard earned dollars into publicly held companies that appear to exist solely to transfer those stockholder dollars into the personal coffers of the CEOs and the Boards of Directors? Those dollars should be transformed into dividends or they should be plowed back into the company in the form of R&D or capitalizing new development. American companies have not done this and the golden geese are leaving the nest. 0 growth is shocking but not surprising.

Another little problem right now for all investors is that "diversification" is not as easily accomplished as it once was - all the divergent markets are moving along with way too much synchronicity.