Electricity is still MIA for The Capital Spectator, and more of the same is expected for the next several days, courtesy of the ongoing fallout from Hurricane Sandy. But through the generosity of the local high school there’s a bit of light in this tunnel and the opportunity to update the returns for the major asset classes.

October was a mixed bag for risky assets, with REITs, U.S. stocks, and commodities taking a mild tumble last month. Foreign corporate bonds, emerging market debt, and U.S. junk bonds offered a positive counterpoint, as did foreign equities in developed markets. The results overall tipped slightly negative, however, as suggested by the fractional loss of 0.4% for the Global Market Index. Nonetheless, GMI remains in the black so far this year by 9.0%.