Abstract
We have now studied the month-to-month, quarterly, and annual returns within the inventory market since 1980. February just isn’t probably the greatest months. On common, shares rise lower than 0.2% within the shortest month of the yr. Solely the months of August and September have generated weaker common returns. There have been some sturdy Februarys, together with 7% positive aspects in 1986, 1991, and 1998, in addition to a 5.5% surge in 2015. However there have been some clunkers as properly: a 6% drop in 1982; a 9% plunge in 2001 in the course of the “dot-com” bust; an 11% collapse close to the underside of the Nice Recession and bear market in 2009; and, after all, the 20% bomb in February 2020, because the coronavirus started to unfold world wide and the financial system tumbled right into a recession. Final yr was higher, with a 5.2% acquire in the course of the month. This time round, February is beginning off with a little bit of optimistic momentum, as January’s returns had been sturdy. Earnings season continues and, as regular, firms are outperforming Road expectations. Nonetheless, fairness buyers obtained a shock not too long ago from the DeepSeek information that the home synthetic intelligence trade might face s