S&P 500 Seasonality While seasonality in the S&P 500 always tells a story, midterm years rank as the weakest in the four-year presidential cycle but still deliver positive returns more often than not. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Average S&P 500 Performance Around Bear Markets and Corrections U.S. stocks have a history of pushing higher toward bull market peaks before eventually pulling back. In such periods, corrections tend to be brief, with rebounds coming faster than during deeper bear cycles. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
S&P 500 Earnings and Estimates Optimism for 2026 earnings remains high after years of market gains and profit growth, but history shows confidence tends to waver once forecasts meet reality. Image: Real Investment Advice
S&P 500 Annual Performance Based How the Santa Claus Rally Does A missing Santa Claus rally is rarely good news. Since 1950, years that skipped the festive lift have averaged only 6.1% gains. For bulls, that’s a warning sign that 2026 could be choppier. Image: Carson Investment Research
S&P 500 Positioning Indicator With U.S. equity positioning largely neutral, there’s room for investors to lean back into risk. Market conditions remain supportive for risk-on moves. Image: TS Lombard
S&P 500 Index Returns and Santa Claus Rally Santa Claus skipped Wall Street this year, and for the bulls, that’s often a warning the new year may bring choppier trading. Will this time be any different? Image: Carson Investment Research
Median S&P 500 Stock Short Interest as % of Market Capitalization Short interest for the median S&P 500 stock remains elevated, climbing to 2.7%. The rise, though, appears driven more by hedging activity than by outright fear or speculative panic. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Bitcoin Price and Moving Averages Bitcoin’s recovery above its 50-day moving average after sharp drops like the one in early October 2025 typically signals the start of a potential reversal or at least a move toward steadier ground. Image: Bloomberg
Cash to Total Assets S&P 500 and S&P 500 Ex-Financials The corporate cash cushion is thinning. S&P 500 firms have slashed their reserves from pandemic peaks, redirecting capital toward AI infrastructure, growth projects, and buybacks in a world where cash no longer comes cheap. Image: J.P. Morgan Equity Strategy and Global Quantitative Research
Share of S&P 500 Annual Return Contributed by the 10 Largest Stocks In 2025, just 10 stocks generated more than half of the S&P 500’s gains, a reminder that the market’s engine is running on a few powerful cylinders. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
U.S. Stock Market Concentration The U.S. stock market is as concentrated as it has been in decades, but history is full of similar moments, from the railroad boom of 1900 to the dominance of mega-caps in the 1930s and 1960s. Image: Bloomberg