The S&P 500 Has Done This Only 3 Times in a Half-Century. History Says This Is What May Happen Next.

Investors have had something to smile about over the past couple of years. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has climbed in the double digits in each of the past two years, and last year confirmed the positive trend as it sailed into bull market territory. Investors piled into technology stocks as they bet on companies making progress in cutting-edge areas like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Investor sentiment also was buoyed by prospects of a lower interest rate environment -- a backdrop that generally supports corporate earnings and the consumer's wallet.This momentum continues today, and that's helped the S&P 500 start the year in a positive way. The benchmark is heading for a gain of more than 2% so far. All of this is great and could spur investors to continue buying stocks and potentially generate wealth over the long term.But there is one potential element -- and one that isn't so positive -- that investors should consider right now. The S&P 500 has made a rare move in recent times. It's only done this three times in more than a half-century, and every time, the same thing has happened next. Let's take a closer look and decide how we should prepare for what might be ahead.Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool