The Stock Market Just Achieved Something for the First Time in the 21st Century -- History Offers Dissenting Clues on What Happens Next

With 2024 officially in the books, the stock market has achieved something for the first time in the 21st century. The broader benchmark S&P 500 rose 24% in 2023 and then over 23% in 2024, making it the first time since the late 1990s that the market has posted consecutive gains of over 20%. In those two years, the market is collectively up over 53%.High-growth artificial intelligence and tech stocks have fueled much of these gains and many investors also think a pro-business Trump administration can keep the stock market rolling. However, history offers dissenting clues about what happens after back-to-back 20%-plus gains in the market. Let's take a look.You wouldn't know it if you've only been investing for a few years, but the stock market doesn't experience such extraordinary gains very often. The average annual return for the S&P 500 over time is roughly 10%, and the market just more than doubled that twice. It's the first time this century and only the seventh time ever:Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool