As we close out the first half of 2024, uncertainties abound. Will we finally see the recession that has been talked about for the past two years? Will the election throw the stock market into chaos? There’s certainly a wall of worry that the market will have to climb in the second half of 2024.
On Friday, the S&P 500 closed out the first half of 2024 with an impressive 14.5% return. How exceptional was the past six months? Looking back at the last 73 years, only 12 other years ended the first half higher.
Does this initial strength bode well for the second half of the year, or should it cause concern? Contrary to many investors’ intuition, strength in the stock market tends to lead to more strength. The past six months’ performance places us in a historically advantageous setup. Over the last 70+ years, when the market was up 10%+ in the first half, it was up almost 90% of the time in the second half. The market is a game of probabilities – would you bet on or against that?
As we navigate the second half of 2024, let’s focus on data-driven strategies and historical trends rather than emotions. Join the conversation, share your insights, and let’s prepare for whatever the market throws our way!
