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It appears that volatility has returned to the investment markets in a big way. After peaking at 36,800 on January 4, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged to 34,160 a little over three weeks later. By February 9 it had rebounded to 35,768, putting the index nearly back to where it was before the bottom seemed to fall out in January.
Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index officially entered correction territory on January 19 when it fell 10.7% from its record close two months earlier before starting to rebound in late February.
Volatility like this can test the nerves of even the most experienced investors. And it can leave less-experienced investors feeling helpless and out of control, making them vulnerable to emotional investing decisions that aren’t in alignment with their financial goals.
For example, some investors believe they can time the ups and downs of the market in order to profit from volatility. But market movements are only obvious in hindsight. History has shown that successfully “timing the markets” on a consistent basis is virtually impossible for professional and amateur investors alike.
The key to avoiding this situation is to view investing as a long-term process, not a day-to-day adventure. The stock market can fluctuate wildly in the short term, as we’ve seen in recent months. But stocks have proven to be a profitable investment over the long term. For example, the average annual return of the S&P 500 Index since its inception in 1926 is 10.49%. It’s about the same over a shorter period: the S&P 500’s average annual return since 1957 10.67%.
Shortening the time frame even more, the average annual return of the S&P 500 between 2001 and 2021 is 8.3%. But investors had to ride out some choppy waters in order to realize this return, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 2008-2009 financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic of 2020-2022.
Instead of trying to time the markets, most people are better off taking a long-term perspective on their investments. To do this, you must ignore the short-term volatility that is inherent in the financial markets.
Of course, this can often be easier said than done, especially in a world where stock market tickers seem to be everywhere you look. Not to mention the 24/7 cable news and internet shows with so-called experts offering the latest advice on how to make a fortune using their “proven” system to buy and sell stocks.
If all of this noise distracts you from your long-term goals and tempts you to try to time the markets, the best advice is to simply turn it off. Don’t watch TV and internet programs that make get-rich-quick investing promises. Don’t look at stock market tickers featuring up-to-the-minute market updates. Instead, do you best to tune all of this out. Doing so will make it easier to ride out short-term bouts of market volatility and avoid making emotional investing decisions that could end up being costly.
One of the best ways to maintain a long-term investing perspective is to adopt a strategy commonly referred to as dollar-cost averaging. With this strategy, you will invest the same amount of money at regular intervals, such as monthly. For example, you could have $2,000 automatically transferred from your checking account into your investment account at the end of each month.
Dollar-cost averaging reduces the risk of buying securities when the market is at or near a peak and selling them when the market is down — or buying high and selling low. Instead, your investments are spread out evenly over time. When the market is down, you purchase more shares and when the market is up, you purchase fewer shares. This tends to even out share prices and may result in a lower cost per share over the long term.
This strategy can be especially beneficial during market downturns because you get more for your money. In other words, it’s like buying stocks “on sale,” which can really pay off for long-term investors. Dollar-cost averaging forces you to go against the grain and invest when markets are down, which can sometimes be hard to do emotionally.
Dollar-cost averaging not only helps you develop a long-term perspective, but it also eliminates the temptation to try to time the markets. And it reduces the chance that you’ll make emotional investing decisions based on short-term market volatility.
We can help you devise a long-term investing strategy based on your financial goals. Give us a call at (803) 791-1111 or send us an email to discuss your situation in detail.
Information is provided by William Amick & Blake Amick and written by Don Sadler, a non-affiliate of Cetera Advisor Networks LLC.
The views stated in this piece are not necessarily the opinion of Cetera Advisor Networks LLC and should not be construed directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities. Due to volatility within the markets, opinions are subject to change without notice. Information is based on sources believed to be reliable; however, their accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Investors cannot invest directly in indexes. The performance of any index is not indicative of the performance of any investment and does not take into account the effects of inflation and the fees and expenses associated with investing.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. The S&P 500 is a capitalization-weighted index of 500 stocks designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries
Dollar-cost averaging will not guarantee a profit or protect you from loss, but may reduce your average cost per share in a fluctuating market.
https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/042415/what-average-annual-return-sp-500.asp
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Investment Advisory Representatives offer advisory products and services through Longleaf Advisory Services, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor.