Mark Hulbert
Stocks often take a hit in the three months after Inauguration Day
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No matter who wins the U.S. presidential election, the U.S. stock market most likely will struggle for a time after Inauguration Day in January.
Since the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA was created in 1896, one of its worst quarterly performances has been the first three months of a president’s term in office, producing an average return of just 0.2%. That compares to an average gain of 1.9% in the other quarters of the presidential term. This overall pattern held up regardless of whether the incumbent political party won or lost.
