US vs EU EQUITY markets

This chart tracks cumulative equity returns across six consecutive 5-year periods from 1995 to 2025. US equities are represented by the S&P 500 (left), European equities by the STOXX Europe 600 (right). Each curve starts at the beginning of its 5-year window and shows how returns accumulated over the period. 1995–2000: US +124%, Europe +101%. 2001–2005: US −1%, Europe +22%. 2006–2010: US +6%, Europe +4%. 2011–2015: US +77%, Europe +20%. 2016–2020: US +114%, Europe +50%.  2021–2025: US +83%, Europe +47%.

Data: Monthly index values for S&P 500 and STOXX Europe 600 from February 1992 to July 2025. Cumulative returns calculated for six consecutive 5-year periods. Returns normalized to period start values.