The Dow is currently lower by about 1% for the month. If it finishes here, it would be the first time in 9 years that the index has fallen during April. The Dow has finished positive in April every year since 2006. Over that period it’s averaged a 3.4% gain during the month.
I started in this business in 2007, so I’ve never actually seen a negative April in my career. The S&P 500 was lower in 2012, but only by 0.75%. That year, stocks declined by 11% through the beginning of May.
It’s a negative data point for the bulls that stocks are struggling in what’s usually a seasonally strong month. Since 1900 the Dow has finished this month higher by 1.2% on average, compared to a 0.5% average gain in all other months.
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