seasonality

November is here, and with the arrival of the eleventh month of the year comes the start of the best six-month period for stocks. On a historical basis, November is indeed a strong month for U.S. equities. Over the past 20 years, the S&P 500 has averaged a November gain of 1.5 percent, tying...

July is here and although the seventh month of the year clearly resides in the weaker six-month period for stocks, the S&P 500 usually is not too bad in July. Over the past 20 Julys, the benchmark U.S. equity gauge has averaged a gain of 0.7 percent while closing higher 50 percent of the time....

Just two trading days have been notched in June, but U.S. stocks are off to a solid start in the final month of the quarter. That could be seen as an encouraging sign give June's reputation for being unkind to stocks. While some sector exchange-traded funds can be decent performers this month,...

The Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: XLF), the largest exchange-traded fund dedicated to financial services stocks, rose 1.3 percent on Thursday, but the ETF is perilously close to turning negative on a year-to-date basis. Only one other sector, energy, is in the red this year. Two factors...

For all the talk about selling in May and going away, May 2017 proved to be a good month for U.S. stocks as the S&P 500 gained about 1.2 percent. June is here, which could bring some retrenchment for stocks if the sixth month of the year holds true to historical form. Over the past 20 years,...

Santa Claus has been benign even to the markets, as is evident from the typically strong rally witnessed at the end of the year. Named the "Santa Claus Rally," this annual trend refers to the strong upward move in stock prices between Christmas and New Year's. Now, how is this...

Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) will report its third-quarter earnings on Thursday. Despite current retail weakness and the company’s stock lagging behind department store competitors this year, Bank of America named Kohl’s the top department store idea for the holiday shopping season....

For Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) continues to be its top idea within the department store sector, while the firm remains cautious on Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN). The Sector Preview Department store retailers are set to announce their quarterly numbers amid...

Analyzing the September sales results of soft-line retailers, MKM Partners said it believes better margins likely drove performance in the third quarter. The firm believes that the industry is largely in good shape based on Gap Inc (NYSE: GPS)'s September showing and its weekly checks. Reduced...

Retail investors hoping for a busy holiday shopping season will either be extremely encouraged or discouraged, and it all depends upon who they listen to. According to Gadfly's Shelly Banjo, retailers are saying their outlook for the holiday season is the "shakiest" it has been in years. For...

Following the first presidential debate on Monday, the presidential race is closer than ever. The latest LA Times/USC Tracking numbers out on Friday have Republican Donald Trump in the lead by 5 percent. A New Rasmussen Reports poll on Thursday has Democrat Hillary Clinton in the lead by 1 point....

October is the month in which some of the most memorable declines for U.S. stocks have taken place, but the tenth month of the year is more kind to equities than many investors are led to believe. Historical data indicate that over the past 20 years, the S&P 500 averages an October gain of 2.1...

Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the retail environment currently, Argus Research is optimistic about the upcoming holiday season. "We think it's going to be a good Christmas," said Argus Research on a conference call held Tuesday. U.S. household incomes increasing for the first time in...

One perception of September is it marks the start of autumn. In financial markets, that does not necessarily mean the return of risk appetite. Over the past 20 years, the S&P 500 has averaged a September loss of 0.3 percent. Keeping with the theme of needing to wait a little while longer before...

Wednesday is August's final trading day, and the markets will be closed the following Monday in observation of Labor Day. When trading activity resumes on Tuesday, it will mark the start of a very busy month ahead. September's key events include the first U.S. presidential debate, a Federal Reserve...