North American stocks posted the best risk-adjusted returns in the past three years as stimulus from the Federal Reserve helped spur profit growth and investors sought a haven in the world’s largest equity market.
The MSCI North America Index of 702 companies has rallied 2 percent since the end of 2009, after taking into account price swings, the most among 19 regional and global equity benchmarks, according to the Bloomberg Riskless Return Ranking. Volatility in the U.S. and Canada declined by 38 percent from the previous three years as equities recovered from the worst bear market since the Great Depression.
