What a crazy first quarter than was right? After a record low run of negative volatility for 15+ months we experienced the most volitle quarter in years - including a correction - in the middle of it. Here's where we stand year-to-date:
- DOW: -2.5%
- S&P 500: -1.2%
- Nasdaq: +2.3%
So where do we go from here? April has historically been the third best month of the year for stocks (only bested by November and December) - so seasonality is on our side as we get started.
Since 1950 here's the scorecard:
Positive years: 47
Negative years: 21
Average rate of return...+1.3%
On average stocks are higher 69% of the time this month and the last April that produced a negative return for stocks was 2012.
The best April for performance occurred in 2009 with a 10% return and the worst was in 1970 with a 9% loss. Happy investing!