US stock market saw its worst month in nearly a decade. US benchmarks such as the Nasdaq Composite and Russell 2000 entered bear markets, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 were just a step away from bear territory before Christmas. Though US equities managed to bounce back in the last few days of the year, the S&P 500 and DJIA still sank 9.2% and 8.7%, respectively, in December, the worst monthly performance in a decade.