S&P 500 Index Quarterly Returns Based on the Four-Year Presidential Cycle In post-election years, Q1 tends to be weak. Q2 often shows stronger performance, while Q3 usually experiences some weakness. As the saying goes, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Image: Carson Investment Research
Median 2-Week S&P 500 Returns Since 1950, the first half of July has consistently been a seasonally strong period for the S&P 500, making it the best half-month of the year. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Average Cumulative S&P 500 Total Returns – Invest on Any Day vs. Invest at a New High While many are skeptical about investing at all-time highs, evidence suggests it often leads to stronger forward returns compared to investing at random days. Image: J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Indexed Return of Cyclicals vs. Defensives and Consensus Forward 4-Quarter U.S. GDP Growth The combination of strong earnings growth, a more favorable geopolitical environment, and supportive technical indicators has led to a significant upward revision in equity market growth expectations for 2025. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Returns – Magnificent Seven vs. European Banks Since January 2022, European banks have outperformed U.S. mega-cap tech stocks—a notable achievement considering the longstanding dominance of American tech giants in global markets. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Seasonality – S&P 500 Index Average Monthly Returns Bulls have reason to smile: historically, July has been the best month in post-election years and over the past 20 years. This suggests there is further upside potential ahead. Image: Carson Investment Research
S&P 500 Risk-Adjusted Returns The S&P 500’s risk-adjusted return in 2025 has been disappointing so far, reflecting a challenging market environment characterized by increased volatility and lower-than-average returns. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Risk-Adjusted Returns Across U.S. Equity Indices The S&P 500’s performance so far this year has been marked by relatively low returns and high volatility, leading to weak risk-adjusted outcomes and signaling a challenging environment for investors seeking favorable risk-reward balances. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Seasonality – S&P 500 Index Returns in June Historically, the U.S. stock market often weakens—and even posts negative returns—in the latter half of June. Could this time be different? Image: Carson Investment Research
Stock Returns over the Past 33 Presidential Terms Starting on Inauguration Day U.S. stocks, after experiencing a historic drop at the start of the year, have made a strong recovery during Trump’s second term and are now in positive territory for 2025, fueling renewed optimism among bulls. Image: Carson Investment Research
S&P 500 Returns – Strong vs. Weak Periods U.S. stock market returns do tend to be weaker on average during the summer months (May–October) compared to the winter months (November–April). However, investors should consider seasonality as a tendency rather than a rule. Image: Real Investment Advice