S&P 500 After Rapid 10% Gains: +17% Avg One-Year Return | Alex Krainer

Historical S&P 500 data shows that sharp 10% rallies over a 10-day span tend to exhibit strong follow-through. On average, returns have been approximately +0.6% after one week, +2.5% after one month, and +17% over the following year.

Rapid 10%+ bounces in the S&P 500 (weekly candles), 1980 to 2026.

A review of the weekly S&P 500 chart from 1980 to 2026 highlights multiple instances of these "rapid +10% bounces," marked by green and red arrows. In most cases, these moves were followed by continued upside, though there were notable exceptions—such as the period around 2000.

 

Alex Krainer argues that the current setup differs meaningfully from the 2000  episode. He notes the absence of broadly synchronized overbought conditions among megacap stocks today, and emphasizes that the more significant declines in 2000 occurred only after the index had already fallen below its 40-week moving average.
 

S&P 500 RSI readings above 70 have led to pullbacks in 8 of the last 10 cases over two years, with the other two resulting in flat consolidation. The daily chart (May 2024–April 2026) marks these signals with red arrows for pullbacks and one green arrow, alongside recent price action near 7,000. This suggests an 80% likelihood of a near-term pullback, though prior corrections since the 2025 rally have been relatively mild.

Reference:
Alex Krainer (April 16, 2026) - Rapid S&P 500 10% rallies in 10 days historically show strong follow-through. 

 

Jeffrey Hirsch notes that the S&P 500's 7.57% gain in the first 10 trading days of April 2026 ranks as the second-strongest start to April since 1950.

Gains averaged +10.8% for the rest of the year, with full-year returns positive in 91.7% of cases (+16.2% avg.).

Historically, such powerful early-April momentum has been a bullish signal: in 20 of 24 comparable cases (83.3%), the market delivered further gains over the remainder of the year, with an average advance of +10.8%. Full-year returns were positive in 22 of those 24 instances (91.7%), averaging +16.2%. Hirsch’s data also segments April starts into performance tiers, with 2026 firmly in the top group—where subsequent returns have consistently outpaced those seen in the middle and bottom tiers.

DJIA Up in 77.3% of April OpEx Weeks Since 1982 | Jeff Hirsch

April's monthly option expiration is generally bullish across the board, with respectable gains on the last day of the week, the entire week, and the week after. Since 1982, DJIA has advanced 28 times in 44 years on monthly expiration day, with an average gain of 0.20%. 

 

DJIA has risen in 34 of the past 44 April options-expiration weeks (next week), with an average gain of 1.00%. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ also show strong seasonality, averaging weekly gains of 0.77% and 0.76%. Losses in 2022, 2024, and 2025 have tempered the longer-term averages. 

 DJIA Up in 77.3% of April OpEx Weeks since 1982.

 

 

S&P 500 Up in 65.9% of April OpEx Weeks since 1982.

S&P 500 has a similar record, also with 28 advances and an average advance of 0.15% on monthly expiration day. Monthly expiration day was trending solidly bullish after four or five declines from 2014 to 2018, but took hits in the 2022 bear market, 2024, and in 2025 due to Liberation Day tariff uncertainty.

NASDAQ Up in 63.6% of April OpEx Weeks since 1982.

 

Monthly expiration week also has a bullish track record over the past 44 years. Average weekly gains are +1.00% for DJIA, +0.77% for S&P 500, and +0.76% for NASDAQ. The bullish bias of April monthly expiration also persists during the week after, although average gains have not been as strong, with selling pressure rising (from 2018 to 2022). However, strength has returned since 2023. NASDAQ jumped 6.73% in the week after in 2025.

► April seasonality strong: 2nd-best month for DJIA and S&P; 4th for NASDAQ.
► April 2026 started solidly (+0.52% DJIA, +1.98% NASDAQ) despite geopolitical tension, rising energy costs, April 15 tax deadline.
► Historically, early April outperformed—since 1994, strength shifted to second half.
► Post–April 15 stronger (especially NASDAQ, Russell 2000).

Reference:
Jeffrey A. Hirsch (April 10, 2026) - DJIA Up 77.3% of the Time During April Monthly Expiration Week since 1982.

 Jeffrey A. Hirsch (April 7, 2026) - Income Tax Deadline, Earnings Season & Iran War: Second Half of April Historically Better.

See also:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (March 25, 2026) - April Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years.

Classic S&P 500 Smart Money vs Dumb Money Rebound Setup | Alex Krainer

A contrarian signal is flashing for the S&P 500 near 6,477. Smart Money Confidence (blue line) is climbing to 0.6 while Dumb Money Confidence (red line) drops to 0.4. This split occurs amid Extreme Fear, with the CNN Fear & Greed Index at 18, despite broader bearish technicals and geopolitical volatility.

» Smart money confidence is growing while dumb money confidence falls. Meanwhile, the Fear & Greed Index has hit
Extreme Fear. Yes, the setups across the board look ugly, but chasing shorts here is riskier than remaining patient. «

 

Historically, this exact divergence—rising institutional confidence against falling retail optimism—has preceded S&P 500 rebounds roughly 70% of the time, per SentimenTrader backtests. It suggests the current sell-off may be exhausted, offering a high-probability upside reversal once fear peaks.

Reference:
Alex Krainer, March 26, 2026.

 

March 27, 2026 Update: This level of Extreme Fear (10) has been seen at previous bottoms, including those that preceded bear market rallies in 2022. The shortest bounce before lower lows occurred in 2025. A bullish divergence is now appearing, which validates the thesis. 

See also:
Branimir Vojcic (March 23, 2026) - S&P 500 Outlook: Late March Low, May Peak, October Low.

 

 

April Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years | Jeff Hirsch

Over the past 21 years (solid lines in the chart below), April has exhibited a pattern of steady gains starting around April 7 (Tue)(Trading Day 5) and continuing through the end of the month, with only minor fluctuations along the way. Overall, it has generally finished positive across the board.

 

Midterm election years since 1950 (dashed lines) show strength from April 7 (Tue) through mid-April only, followed by choppy trading that typically ends the month flat or in negative territory.

 

Reference:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (March 25, 2026) - April Weaker in Midterm Election Years.

 

S&P 500 Midterm Election Year Seasonal Pattern, 1949-2024.

  

See also:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (December 29, 2025) - 2026 Midterm Election Year Seasonal Patterns of US Indices. 

Nicholas D. Savino (April 1, 2026) - April 2026 S&P 500 Forecast.

US Stock Indexes Trigger Rare March-December Low Indicator | Jeff Hirsch

Originated by Lucien Hooper, a Forbes columnist and Wall Street analyst in the 1970s, the December Low Indicator is based on the Dow closing below its December closing low in the first quarter of the New Year. DJIA’s December closing low was 47,289.33 on 12/1/2025.

  

See the Historical Analogue 1966 vs. 2026
in @Fiorente2's "The 60-Year Cycle in US Stock Indexes Revisited."

 

The indicator also applies to the S&P 500, which closed below its December closing low of 6,721.43 (set on 12/17/2025). Historically, years when the S&P 500’s December Low Indicator was breached alongside a down January Barometer were weaker years. When the January Barometer was positive and the December Low was crossed, years tended to be stronger — which is the situation we find ourselves in today.

 

When the market has closed below its December closing low in the first quarter of the year, the market has dropped, on average, another 13.5% on the S&P 500 and 10.9% for the DJIA from the trigger point. Now that the December Low Indicator has been triggered on both the DJIA and S&P 500, some caution is in order.

 

Why This March Trigger Is Rare

Of the 36 December Low Indicator triggers on the S&P 500, this is only the fourth to occur in March, and the sixth among the 39 DJIA triggers. We’ve broken out the S&P DLI triggers by month in the accompanying tables above.

 

It’s not surprising that most January and February triggers were accompanied by a down January Barometer. Whereas all four March DLI triggers — including yesterday’s — came in years when the January Barometer was positive.

Here’s how the three trigger months compare historically:

• January triggers (24 occurrences): Average further decline of 12.92%; full year up 14 of 24 times, average gain of 1.30%
• February triggers (8 occurrences): The worst group — average further decline of 17.26%; down 6 of 8 full years, average loss of 8.13%
• March triggers (3 previous occurrences): The mildest — average further decline of 8.12%; one year up, two down, average full-year loss of 3.70%

The historical data suggests March triggers carry less downside risk than those in January or February — a meaningful distinction given today’s trigger.

 

The January Barometer Still Points Higher

When the S&P 500 January Barometer is positive — as it was this year — the full year is up 41 of 46 years (89.1% of the time) for an average gain of 16.95%. The next 11 months are up 87.0% of the time for an average gain of 12.24%.

 

When it’s down, the year is up only 50% of the time with an average loss of 1.75%, and the next 11 months average a paltry 2.07% gain.

 

Bottom Line

While the current situation suggests the market is likely to go lower in the near term, the positive January Barometer and the broader fundamental and macro backdrop remain supportive. When the indexes and your spirits are down and contrary sentiment indicators reach extreme bearish levels — a VIX above 40, Investors Intelligence Bearish % exceeding Bullish % — that’s historically the point at which the market turns higher again. Stay cautious in the near term, but keep the longer-term odds in perspective.

 

Reference:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (March 13, 2026) - Iran Conflict Triggers a Rare March December Low Indicator.

 

What happens once the SPY closes down four weeks in a row.

 

What happens once the weekly RSI(2) closes at 5 or below. 

See also:

@Fiorente2 (March 16, 2026) - Historical Analogue: 1966 vs. 2026. In: The 60-Year Cycle in US Stock Indexes Revisited.

March Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years | Jeff Hirsch

Beginning on March 2 (Mon) (Trading Day 1), the US stock market historically follows two distinct paths. Over the recent 21-year period (solid lines in the chart below), March tends to open positively with modest gains through March 4 (Wed) (TD 3) before weakness leads to a sharp dip around March 9 (Mon) (TD 6). While indices typically move higher from March 16 (Mon) (TD 11), the NASDAQ and S&P 500 usually lead this recovery into the final close on March 31 (Tue) (TD 22).

 

March generally finishes positive across all major indices.

  

In contrast, Midterm Election years since 1950 (dotted lines) show significantly greater historical strength, potentially as a rebound from a typically tepid February. This cycle produces a front-loaded rally where R2K small caps flip from laggards to leaders, often outpacing S&P 500, DJIA, and NASDAQ. Strength generally persists until the Spring Equinox, reaching a seasonal peak on March 20 (Fri) (TD 15). After this point, indices tend to lose momentum and close out the month with choppy trading. Despite these differing mid-month trajectories, March has a 64% win rate, generally finishing positive across all indices.

 

Reference:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (February 25, 2026) - March’s Seasonal Pattern – Early Strength Persists Longer in Midterm Years. 

 

 S&P 500 Midterm Election Year Seasonal Pattern, 1949-2024.

 

Detrended S&P 500 Seasonality.

 

Detrended VIX Seasonality (see also HERE). 

 

S&P 500 First 10 Days and Last 10 Days of the Month (1928-2024).

 

 S&P 500's Average Daily Return & Percent of Days Positive (1928-2024).

 

 DJIA (daily bars).

 

CNN Fear & Greed Index.

Bank of America's Bull & Bear Index hit 9.3 on February 24, crossing the contrarian "sell" threshold above 8, indicating excessive optimism among global fund managers. Historically, such readings preceded median three-month drawdowns of 5.5% for the S&P 500, and 8.6% for the Nasdaq.

 See also:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (December 29, 2025) - 2026 Midterm Election Year Seasonal Patterns of US Indices. 

Branimir Vojcic (February 23, 2026) - VIX Cycles: Forecasting Volatility Peaks Through 2032. 

Larry Williams (February 19, 2026) - 2026 Market Update: Crude, NatGas, Metals, Stocks, Cocoa.

TPR (February 22, 2026) - S&P 500 Hurst Analysis: Projection into Mid-March 20-Week Cycle Low. 

Nicholas D. Savino (March 1, 2026) - March 2026 S&P 500 Forecast.

S&P 500 Hurst Analysis: Projection into Mid-March 20-Week Cycle Low

The current 40-week cycle began at the November 21, 2025 trough. Its primary components are two 20-week cycles, which averaged 16.9 weeks (118 days = Delta cycle) over recent iterations. 

 

 SPY (daily candles), September 2025 to May 2026.

The low of the first 20-week cycle is expected to occur between March 17 and March 19 (Tue–Thu).
 

► 10-day cycle (7.6 days) low = Feb 24 (Tue)
► 20-day cycle (14.7 days) low = Mar 3 (Tue)
► 40-day cycle (31 days) low = Mar 17 (Tue)
► 80-day cycle (57 days) low = Mar 18 (Wed)
► 20-week cycle (118 days) low = Mar 19 (Thu)

 

The 40-week cycle (and 18-month cycle) trough is projected into late July (±).

 

See also:

TPR (2025) - J.M. Hurst’s Cyclic Theory.

 TPR (August 5, 2025)  - Insights into J.M. Hurst's 40-Week Cycle AKA the 9-Month Cycle. 

Larry Williams (February 19, 2026) - 2026 Market Update: Crude, NatGas, Metals, Stocks, Cocoa. 

2026 Sensitive Degrees of the Sun for the NYSE | Jack Gillen

 Jack Gillen derived these solar zodiac positions as aspects to the NYSE natal chart, cast

for May 17, 1792 (8:52 am LMT) in New York, NY, using Geocentric Tropical coordinates.

  

» The Sun's position by itself in relation to the stock market can show you trends that are more or less

active for each year, as the Sun degrees are generally fixed. They fall on about the same date

every year. So this is why some periods of the year would be more of a pattern. «

 

The market will always be influenced by the Sun pattern, and it will happen year after year. You will find from January to the last two weeks in July the market prices will be upwards, and in the latter part of the year, after the influence of Leo, the market will be down in price. This is the average trend that will always occur. This affects volume as well as price itself.

However, it is important that you realize the influence of the Sun's complete cycle. Also, any corporation will be affected by certain cycles of the Sun through these signs. It would be important to backtrack about twelve years during the pattern of the Sun's cycle in order to see the pattern on which the company is being activated as far as the solar cycle.

■ The period of the Sun in Aries is usually from March 20 through April 19. 

■ The Sun in the sign of Taurus is usually from April 20 through May 20. 

■ The Sun's transit in the sign of Gemini is generally from May 21 through June 20. 

■ The Sun's transit through the sign of Cancer is from June 21 through July 22. 

■ The Sun's transit in the sign of Leo is usually from July 23 through August 22.
■ The Sun's transit in the sign of Virgo is generally from August 23 through September 22. 

■ The Sun's transit in the sign of Libra is from September 23 through October 22, 

■ through the sign of Scorpio from October 23 through November 21, 

■ through the sign of Sagittarius from November 22 through December 21, 

■ through the sign of Capricorn from December 22 through January 19, 

■ through the sign of Aquarius from January 20 through February 18, 

■ through the sign of Pisces from February 19 through March 19. 

 

These are twelve signs with the transit of the Sun. Again, let me stress the importance of the aspect of the Sun during these periods. If it involves a combination that relates to panic, crashes, recession, or depression, then these months will be more intensified as far as the effect. If the transit is in a trine or good aspect, then the movement will be less severe than under normal conditions. 

 

Quoted from:

Jack Gillen (1979) - The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

 Dates and times calculated for New York (EST/EDT).

 

positive = NYSE should reach a low and turn up.

negative = NYSE should reach a high and turn down.

neutral = expect small range or inside day. 

 

[ In general, however, these dates should be viewed simply as potential short-term market turn-days. ]  

 

S&P 500 (2016 and 2017) versus Gillen’s sensitive degrees of the Sun.

 

S&P 500 Average Daily Performance and %-Probability (1928-2024). 

See also: 

Solar Ephemeris for 2026.

  Jack Gillen (1979) - Sensitive Degrees of the Moon.

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (January 27, 2026) - February Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years.

February Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years | Jeff Hirsch

According to the specific midterm data (1950–2022) indicated by the dotted lines on the chart below, the market typically begins with weakness, hitting an initial seasonal low on February 5 (Thu) (Trading Day 4) before attempting a choppy recovery.

 

 

This leads to a secondary dip around February 9 (Mon) just before a historical mid-month surge. This peak typically culminates on February 18 (Wed) (Presidents' Day February 16 (Mon), OpEx February 20 (Fri)). 

 

Following this peak, the "February Reversal" takes hold. In midterm years, the market typically enters a sideways trend, struggling to sustain gains. Conversely, the 21-year average shows a steadier decline that carries the market toward its final monthly low on February 27 (Fri).

 

Reference: 

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (January 27, 2026) - February has opened strongly but then reverses after Presidents’ Day.

  

DJIA eyes 9-month win streak: Historically, 2-month

follow-up gains are 100% certain, averaging +5.34%. 

 

DJIA & NASDAQ Up 81.0% of time on first trading day of February. Average gains 
have been respectable ranging from 0.39% by DJIA to 0.64% from NASDAQ. 

Update February 9, 2026.

See also:

Nicholas D. Savino (February 1, 2026) - February 2026 S&P 500 Forecast.  

 David Hickson (January 26, 2026) - Unraveling the Hurst Cycles Harmony of the US Stock Market.

Namzes (January 5, 2026) - 2026 Hurst Cycles Playbook for the S&P 500. 

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (December 29, 2025) - 2026 Midterm Election Year Seasonal Patterns of US Indices.

NDR (December 31, 2025) - 2026 S&P 500 Composite: Seasonal, Presidential, and Decennial Cycles.

Unraveling the Hurst Cycles Harmony of the US Stock Market | David Hickson

A Hurst cycles analysis essentially functions as a fairly complex puzzle in which every cycle must fit precisely into place, primarily because the cycle troughs must be synchronized whenever possible. If we were to position Hurst’s classic 9-year nominal cycle trough in 2020, we would produce a rather unbalanced cyclical analysis. Consequently, the 2018 placement is, in my opinion, a much more appropriate position for this nine-year cycle trough. We have had very regular nine-year cycles beating from the trough in 1998, continuing through the 2009 trough to the 2018 trough. Following this progression, the next nine-year cycle trough is expected to occur in approximately 2027.

S&P 500 (monthly candles), 1997-2039: 9-year (red) and 54-month (orange) cycles.

 

The classic 9-year model, tracking a recent average 10.1-year wavelength, identifies major troughs in 2002, 2009, and 2018; it dismisses the deeper March 2020 low as Fundamental Interaction to preserve the model's harmonic ratios. Currently, this model places the market in the bearish third of three 18-month cycles following an October 2022 trough, forecasting a significant decline into a synchronized 9-year nest of lows by mid-2027.

 

S&P 500 (daily candles), November 2025 to September 2026: The orange dashed 

Composite Model Line (CML) is a summation of all underlying cycles of the 9-year model:

Current nominal 20-week cycle = 16.9 weeks; 80-day cycle = 57 days; 40-day cycle = 31 days; 20-day cycle = 15.4 days. 

Conversely, the 7-year model utilizes a 14-year/7-year rhythm visible in the 2002, 2009, 2016, and 2022 troughs. By phasing the October 2022 low as a major 14-year trough, this model explains recent persistent strength and suggests the market is in the first of three 18-month cycles, implying a more bullish structural backdrop. Despite these long-term differences, both models converge on a near-term projection: an early 2026 peak followed by a corrective move into an 18-month cycle trough around June or July 2026. 

 

S&P 500 (daily candles), April 2025 to September 2026: The orange dashed Composite 

Model Line (CML) is a summation of all underlying cycles of the 7-year model:

Current nominal 20-week cycle = 13.6 weeks; 80-day cycle = 56.5 days; 40-day cycle = 28 days; 20-day cycle = 13.8 days. 

S&P 500 (daily candles), December 2025 to February 2026, and orange dashed 7-year model CML.

 

 Nominal 9-Year Cycle vs Actual 7-Year Cycle.

 

Both models recognize a 40-week cycle trough on November 21, 2025, and the 80-day cycle trough on January 21. A peak is expected in late-Q1 early-Q2, to be followed by a significant mid-year correction into June-July.

 

 Reference:
David Hickson (January 26, 2026) - Deep Cycle Dive: SPX - Hurst Cycles Market Update. (video)

 

See also:

J.M. Hurst's Principles of Commonality and Variation. 

Namzes (January 5, 2026) - 2026 Hurst Cycles Playbook for the S&P 500. 

Nicholas D. Savino (January 1, 2026) - January 2026 S&P 500 Forecast. 

NDR (December 31, 2025) - 2026 S&P 500 Composite: Seasonal, Presidential, and Decennial Cycles. 

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (December 29, 2025) - 2026 Midterm Election Year Seasonal Patterns of US Indices.