Key Points
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The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite have recorded double-digit gains in 2026, but the stock market faces headwinds related to inflation and midterms.
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Following the first rate hike in a tightening cycle, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have usually fallen into stock market correction territory at some point in the next three months.
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Since 2010, following the first close in correction territory, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have gained an average of 18% and 21%, respectively, in the next year.
Year to date, the broad-based S&P 500(SNPINDEX:^GSPC) has advanced 13%, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite(NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) has added 14%. But the next stock market downturn is only a matter of time.
In the near term, elevated oil prices tied to the Iran conflict, potential interest rate hikes, soaring bond yields, and midterm elections are sources of uncertainty that could drag stocks lower (or even cause a market crash). But history says investors will profit from the next correction if they make one simple move.
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Here are the important details.
Why the stock market is vulnerable to a downturn
The U.S. stock market is vulnerable to a drawdown (perhaps even a crash) for several reasons. First, President Trump’s tariffs and high energy prices tied to the Iran war have caused inflation to accelerate. At the same time, the Federal Reserve has become increasingly hawkish. Three FOMC members voted for rate hikes at the July meeting, up from zero at the June meeting.
So what? If the Fed raises interest rates, it would mark the first rate hike in a new tightening cycle, and the major stock market indexes have frequently suffered corrections under those conditions. In the last 30 years, following the first hike in a cycle, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite declined by an average of 11% and 14%, respectively, at some point during the next year.
Second, a combination of factors — expectations for higher interest rates, an abundance of corporate bonds issued by artificial intelligence companies, and concerns about national debt — have led investors to sell Treasury bonds, driving yields higher. The 30-year Treasury bond has paid more than 5% for 44 straight trading sessions, the longest stint since 2007.
So what? Treasury bonds look increasingly attractive relative to equities as payouts increase, and the longer yields remain elevated, the more likely investors are to move money from stocks to bonds. The last time 30-year Treasury bonds yielded over 5% for 44 straight trading sessions, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite fell 17% and 14%, respectively, over the next year.
Third, the president’s party tends to lose congressional seats during midterm elections, which creates policy uncertainty that weighs on the stock market. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has declined by an average of 18% at some point during midterm election years, and those loses typically materialized in the third quarter, according to Carson Investment Research.
History says investors who buy the dip during a stock market correction will profit
The S&P 500 suffered six market corrections in the last decade, and two of them eventually became bear markets. However, following the index’s first close in correction territory (i.e., the day it first closed 10% below its high), the S&P 500 returned an average of 18% over the next year and it added 40% over the next two years.
Similarly, the Nasdaq Composite suffered nine market corrections in the last decade, and four of them eventually became bear markets. However, following the index’s first close in correction territory, the Nasdaq returned an average of 21% over the next year and it added 39% over the next two years.
The one thing investors should not do is attempt to time the market by selling stocks with the intention of buying them back at some point in the future. Legendary fund manager Peter Lynch once warned, “Far more money has been lost by investors in preparing for corrections, or anticipating corrections, than has been lost in corrections themselves.”
Here’s the big picture: Stock market declines are inevitable, but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite have eventually recouped their losses from every past drawdown. In that sense, every past decline has been a good opportunity for investors to buy shares of index funds that track the S&P 500 or Nasdaq. Anyone who followed that advice in the past turned a profit, and there is no reason to expect a different outcome in the future.
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Trevor Jennewine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.