- The January Effect is the seasonal tendency for stocks to rise in that month.
- From 1928 through 2018, the S&P 500 rose 62% of the time in January (56 times out of 91).
- The January Effect is theorized to occur when investors sell winners to incur year-end capital gains taxes in December and use those funds to speculate on weaker performers.
How does the stock market perform in January?
who took office in January 1977. Stock markets have also performed well, with the S&P 500 hitting new records. Though the gains in the Nasdaq and Dow stock indices are behind where they were during Trump's first year, the S&P 500 is considered the market's ...
Is the stock market really overvalued?
Is the stock market really overvalued? “The stock market is significantly overvalued according to the Buffett Indicator,” said the researchers at GuruFocus. “Based on the historical ratio of total market cap over GDP (the aforementioned 204.4%), it is likely to return -3.3% a year from this level of valuation, including dividends.”Jun 30, 2021.
Which stock markets are closed for Labor Day?
The stock market is usually open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. But unfortunately, both the NYSE and NASDAQ will be closed on Monday, September 6th, 2021 in observance of Labor Day. So...
Will the stock market sell off?
The stock finished June up 93.8% year to date, according to data provided by S&P Global Market ... plans to sell $500 million in new shares. The stock sale outweighed the successful flight in investor eyes, causing the shares to be off by about 9% for ...

What usually happens to stock market in January?
The January Effect is the belief that the stock market has a tendency to rise in January more than any other month. While there are many potential causes, it's often said to be a result of investors reentering the market after selling off their stocks at year end to lock in their losses for tax purposes.
Do stock prices go up in January?
The January effect is a hypothesis that there is a seasonal anomaly in the financial market where securities' prices increase in the month of January more than in any other month.
Do stocks Decline in January?
January market drops are now fairly common, including in the previous two years, which nonetheless ended with large annual gains. Many Wall Street strategists are predicting that the market will end 2022 higher.
Is January a good month to buy stocks?
Best Month to Buy Stocks The markets tend to have strong returns around the turn of the year, as well as during the summer months. The chart below shows the monthly average returns for the S&P 500 over the period from 1950 through 2017: There's something called the January effect.
What month are stocks the lowest?
From 1980 to 2020, our data analysis shows that August is the best month to sell stocks. Specifically, the best time to sell would be toward the end of August, as September is typically the worst month for stock market declines.
How much has the stock market dropped in 2021?
S&P 500 Ends 2021 Up 27%, Finishing Best Three-Year Stretch Since 1999.
What months does the stock market do best?
What the Data SaysRankMonth of YearFrequency of Growth (%)#1December79.0%#2April74.3%#3October68.6%#4July61.7%9 more rows•May 30, 2022
Does the stock market usually go up or down in December?
While December is typically positive for stocks, the traditional Santa Claus rally is the historically positive market performance that often comes in the last five trading days of the year and first two of January, according to Stock Trader's Almanac.
The Santa Claus Rally
A Santa Claus rally is a year-end rise in stocks that lasts into the new year. This rally usually starts the week before Christmas. It ends on January 4th. It can begin any time in December, but it gets its name from the fact that it usually occurs during the last week of December and carries into the new year.
Waiting Five Days
The first five days of January can predict the rest of the month and the rest of the year, according to both MoneyMorning.com and the Stock Trader's Almanac. In years when the Santa Claus Rally lasts through the first five days of the new year, it has successfully predicted the direction of the S&P 500 index 33 out of 39 times.
Year After Presidential Elections
If you want to hone your buy signals to a fine point, you can consider post-presidential election years. As of 2013, the last 11 out of 15 years following a presidential election have predicted the market's direction. The S&P 500 has followed the trend of the first five days of trading in January in these post-election years.
Fake Rallies
If you don't feel like taking on the risk of investing in a rally that could fizzle, you can wait until January is over to make your decision. After all, no January indicator has 100 percent accuracy. If you wait to see if January posts a gain, you can decide whether you think that bodes well for the rest of the year.
Why do investors sell off stocks in December?
According to this hypothesis, investors sell off underperforming stocks in December to lock in a capital loss for the year, thereby reducing their tax bill, which causes a temporary dip in prices. In January, prices recover when buying picks up again.
What is the January effect?
The January Effect refers to the hypothesis that, in January, stock market prices have the tendency to rise more than in any other month. This is not to be confused with the January barometer, which posits that stocks' performance in January is a leading indicator for stock performance throughout the entire year.
NASDAQ: NVAX
The market drop in January 2022 was a different beast. My portfolio lost 20% in 31 days. It would have been a lot worse, too, but the market bounced a bit during the last three days of the month. And this time, it's not nearly as obvious why the market tanked.
1. Profit-taking
You might have forgotten this, but the stock market just had two really high-returning years in a row. In 2020, the S&P 500 gained 16%, even though it was the first year of the pandemic. A lot of internet stocks put up great numbers. Many stocks in many sectors were hammered, but overall, the market did just fine.
2. Tax planning
Traders often like to wait until January to sell stocks, and there's a reason for that. When you sell shares at a profit, the next year, come April 15, you have to pay taxes on your capital gains. By selling in January, you extend the period you have before that tax bill comes due -- in this case, until April 15, 2023.
3. What about omicron? Or the possibility that Russia might invade Ukraine? Or rising interest rates?
When it's not clear why the market is falling, all you can do is speculate. Some pundits thought that fears about the possible economic impacts of the omicron surge were causing traders to bid stocks down. Others pointed to the possibility of war in Ukraine.
Premium Investing Services
Invest better with the Motley Fool. Get stock recommendations, portfolio guidance, and more from the Motley Fool's premium services.
1. Omicron supply chain issues (domestic and abroad)
The most obvious obstacle for the S&P 500 is the ongoing spread of coronavirus variants, of which omicron is now the most predominant in the United States. The issue is that there's no unified global approach as to how best to curtail omicron. Whereas some countries are now mandating vaccines, others are imposing few restrictions, if any.
2. QE winding down
Another fairly obvious high-risk factor for Wall Street is the Federal Reserve going on the offensive against inflation. As a reminder, the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 6.8% in November, which marked a 39-year high for inflation.
3. Margin calls
Wall Street should also be deeply concerned about rapidly rising levels of margin debt, which is the amount of money that's been borrowed by institutions or investors with interest to purchase or short-sell securities.
4. Sector rotation
Sometimes, the stock market dives for purely benign reasons. One such possibility is if we witness sector rotation in January. Sector rotation refers to investors moving money from one sector of the market to another.
5. Meme stock reversion
A fifth reason the stock market could crash in January is the potential for a dive in meme stocks, such as AMC Entertainment Holdings and GameStop.
6. Valuation
Even though valuation is rarely ever enough, by itself, to send the S&P 500 screaming lower, historic precedents do suggest Wall Street may be in trouble come January.
7. History makes its presence felt
Lastly, investors can look to history as another reason to be concerned about the broader market.
At this crisis point in history - what could possibly create these rare and extraordinary gains?
An Arizona multi-millionaire's revolutionary initiative is helping average Americans find quick and lasting stock market success.
A revolutionary initiative is helping average Americans find quick and lasting stock market success
275% in one week on XLF - an index fund for the financial sector. Even 583%, in 7 days on XHB … an ETF of homebuilding companies in the S&P 500.

History of The January Effect
What Causes The January Effect?
- It's been said that tax planning is a major driver of the January Effect. According to this hypothesis, investors sell off underperforming stocks in December to lock in a capital lossfor the year, thereby reducing their tax bill, which causes a temporary dip in prices. In January, prices recover when buying picks up again. Another potential driver ...
How to Prepare For The January Effect as An Investor
- Because the January Effect only occurs in certain contexts and appears to only have a modest impact in current markets, there are few ways to prepare. If you hold small-cap stocks in your taxable brokerage account, perhaps you could make periodic additions in December in anticipation of a possible January price increase. Should that happen, you'd have a chance to loc…