Where Every S&P 500 Dollar Goes 18 cents of every S&P 500 dollar now goes to semiconductors, 33 cents to the Mag 7, and 40 cents to the ten largest holdings. Passive money does not seek bargains, reinforcing concentration in the market’s largest positions. Image: Real Investment Advice
S&P 500 Gains Between 8-10% Are Quite Rare Since 1950, the S&P 500 has rarely delivered average annual returns. Will 2026 extend the winning streak with another round of outsized gains well above 10%? For now, the odds favor the bulls. Image: Carson Investment Research
Nine Day Win Streaks for the S&P 500 Nine-day winning streaks have been a reliable bullish signal for the S&P 500. In every instance since 1990, the index has been higher 12 months later, delivering an average gain of 16.7%, a track record that keeps bulls smiling. Image: Carson Investment Research
Dow Jones Performance Under Various Federal Reserve Bank Chairs The Dow has performed well under Jerome Powell, delivering an annualized return of 8.4%, comfortably above the long-term average of 6.2%. That puts him 8th among the 16 Fed chairs. Will Kevin Warsh do better? Image: Carson Investment Research
S&P 500 Performance After Seven Week Wins Streaks Up >10% A seven-week winning streak and a double-digit gain tend to set the tone. Since 1950, US stocks have delivered an average 12-month return of 15.7% and never finished in the red. No wonder the bulls are smiling. Image: Carson Investment Research
S&P 500 Performance After Six Week Wins Streaks Up >10% Six weeks up and more than 10% higher. Historically, that combination has been a tailwind for U.S. stocks, delivering average 12-month returns of 17.1% since 1950. It is exactly the kind of setup bulls like to see. Image: Carson Investment Research
S&P 500 Performance When Q1 Low Breaks the December Low Close When the S&P 500 sinks below its December low in the first quarter, history tends to flash a warning light. On average, U.S. stocks have gained only 0.2% for the full year when that happens. Image: Carson Investment Research
S&P 500 Dispersion While the S&P 500 looks calm on the surface, the action under the hood tells a different story: the realized volatility spread between the average S&P 500 stock and the index has reached its highest level on record. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
S&P 500 Based on the Chinese Zodiac Signs The Year of the Horse has begun. Playful as zodiac signs may be on market trends, the Year of the Horse usually trots rather than gallops, with U.S. stocks rising an average 6.3% since 1950. Image: Carson Investment Research
Valuation – S&P 500 Real Value Index Since 1871, the S&P 500 real total returns, dividends reinvested, have averaged 6.9% a year. The U.S. Real Value Index has always mean-reverted — and right now, it is between 10% and 20% above fair value. Image: TS Lombard
Global Median 10-Year Yield Across All Sample Economies The median 10-year government bond yield has risen from the rock-bottom levels of the pre-Covid years and early pandemic, returning to its long-term historical average — a clear sign of normalization in bond markets. Image: Deutsche Bank