We’re drawn toward negative news—it’s a survival instinct to keep us safe. The light blue line below represents the performance of the S&P 500 Index and the red line represents Google searches for “CNBC.” On March 31, 2020, Google searches for CNBC reached their highest level since 2004 as the market sold off due to the coronavirus outbreak. As an investor, reacting to negative news can be harmful for your portfolio. A financial advisor can help you tune out the noise and build a portfolio based on your long-term goals.
When Markets Fall, We Search—Especially for CNBC
Google Searches for CNBC* vs. S&P 500 Index

Past performance does not guarantee future results. For illustrative purposes only. Indices are unmanaged and not available for direct investment. Data sources: Google Trends, 3/20 and Morningstar, 4/20.
Talk to your financial advisor to help you build a portfolio that’s right for you.
S&P 500 Index is a market capitalization-weighted price index composed of 500 widely-held common stocks.
* Google Trends Methodology: Google Trends enables you to compare the world’s interest in various internet topics; it shows how frequently topics have been searched on Google over time. The numbers on the graph reflect how many searches have been done for a particular term, relative to the total number of searches done on Google over time. They don’t represent absolute search volume numbers, because the data is normalized and presented on a scale from 0-100. Each point on the graph is divided by the highest point, or 100. A rising line for a search term indicates a growth in the term’s popularity.
Important Risks: Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.
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