Martin Madden

Annual stock market returns are unpredictable, but the long history of positive returns may be reassuring to investors who find market downturns unsettling. The stock market tends to reward investors who can weather annual ups and downs and stay committed to a long-term plan. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing risks include

Stock market declines over a few days or months may lead investors to anticipate a down year. But the US stock market has had positive annual returns in many years despite some notable dips. Intrayear declines for the index ranged from 3% to 49%. Many years with large intrayear declines saw positive annual returns. In

Stock returns are volatile, but nearly a century of bull and bear markets shows that the good times have outshone the bad. The stock market’s ups and downs are unpredictable, but history supports an expectation of positive returns over the long term. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Indices are not available for

Sudden market downturns can be unsettling. But historically, US equity returns following sharp downturns have, on average, been positive. A broad market index shows that US stocks have tended to deliver positive returns over one-, three-, and five-year periods following steep declines. Cumulative returns show this to striking effect. Five years after market declines of

The impact of being out of the market for a short time can be profound, as shown by this hypothetical investment in the Russell 3000 Index, a broad US stock market benchmark. Staying invested and focused on the long term helps to ensure that you’re in position to capture what the market has to offer.

Since 1926, the US stock market has rewarded investors with an annualized return of about 10%. But returns in any given year maybe sky-high, extremely poor, or somewhere in between. Understanding the range of potential outcomes can help you stick with a pan and ride out the inevitable ups and downs. Past performance is no

It’s natural for investors to look for a connection between who wins the White House and which way stocks will go. But regardless of who wins, nearly a century of returns shows that stocks have trended upward. Stocks have rewarded disciplined investors for decades, through both Democratic and Republican presidencies. Past performance is not a

Nearly a century of US stock market returns suggests that making investment decisions based on control of the chambers of Congress is unlikely to lead to better financial outcomes. Stocks tend to reward disciplined investors no matter who has the upper hand in the House and Senate. Past performance is not a guarantee of future