Annual stock market returns are unpredictable, but the long history of positive returns may be reassuring to investors who find market downturns unsettling.
- “Up” years have occurred much more frequently than “down” years in the US stock market from 1926 through 2023.
- The market averaged gains of 10.0% per year during this period.
- About two-thirds of the down years were followed by up years. The most recent example: a 19.8% loss in 2022 followed by a 26.6% gain in 2023.
What’s the conclusion? The stock market tends to reward investors who can weather annual ups and downs and stay committed to a long-term plan.