Election-Year Patterns
Many investors believe elections move markets in predictable ways. Here is what the S&P 500 actually did in recent presidential and midterm election years, and why politics is a poor timing tool.
Presidential election years
| Year | SPY price change |
|---|---|
| 2008 | −38.3% |
| 2012 | +13.5% |
| 2016 | +9.6% |
| 2020 | +16.2% |
| 2024 | +23.3% |
Calendar-year price changes in our price data. Past performance does not predict future results.
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