The S&P 500 hit a new all-time high in February. However, by one measure it’s been in a bear market all century.
Today’s monthly chart shows
SPX as a ratio against gold. Using this comparison, equities have underperformed since Bill Clinton was still President in August 2000.
It illustrates how stocks languished in the 1970s, before starting an 18-year run against the “barbarous relic” (to borrow from John Maynard Keynes). Then the great equity bubble broke and investors began their first migration back into gold. They subsequently diversified into emerging markets, triggering a secular bear market in U.S. stocks that ended with the subprime crisis.
The S&P 500 continued lower against bullion until 2011, when the People's Bank of China turned hawkish. A year or two later, stocks entered a new bull market by breaking above their previous high from 2007.
That uptrend continued until late 2021, when post-pandemic inflation lifted interest rates. Gold interestingly held its ground as the Federal Reserve tightened policy, an early sign of emerging strength.
The next interesting moment was early 2024, when stocks and the yellow metal both broke out to new highs. However, the S&P 500 still made a lower high when expressed as a ratio against gold.
Given worries about the U.S. fiscal deficit, inflation and de-dollarization, some investors may wonder whether the trend that began 25 years ago may remain in effect.
Check out TradingView's The Leap competition sponsored by TradeStation.
TradeStation has, for decades, advanced the trading industry, providing access to stocks, options and futures. If you're born to trade, we could be for you. See our Overview for more.
Past performance, whether actual or indicated by historical tests of strategies, is no guarantee of future performance or success. There is a possibility that you may sustain a loss equal to or greater than your entire investment regardless of which asset class you trade (equities, options or futures); therefore, you should not invest or risk money that you cannot afford to lose. Online trading is not suitable for all investors. View the document titled Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options at https://www.TradeStation.com/DisclosureOptions. Before trading any asset class, customers must read the relevant risk disclosure statements on https://www.TradeStation.com/Important-Information/. System access and trade placement and execution may be delayed or fail due to market volatility and volume, quote delays, system and software errors, Internet traffic, outages and other factors.
Securities and futures trading is offered to self-directed customers by TradeStation Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a futures commission merchant licensed with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission). TradeStation Securities is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the National Futures Association, and a number of exchanges.
TradeStation Securities, Inc. and TradeStation Technologies, Inc. are each wholly owned subsidiaries of TradeStation Group, Inc., both operating, and providing products and services, under the TradeStation brand and trademark. When applying for, or purchasing, accounts, subscriptions, products and services, it is important that you know which company you will be dealing with. Visit https://www.TradeStation.com/DisclosureTSCompanies for further important information explaining what this means.
Today’s monthly chart shows
SPX as a ratio against gold. Using this comparison, equities have underperformed since Bill Clinton was still President in August 2000.It illustrates how stocks languished in the 1970s, before starting an 18-year run against the “barbarous relic” (to borrow from John Maynard Keynes). Then the great equity bubble broke and investors began their first migration back into gold. They subsequently diversified into emerging markets, triggering a secular bear market in U.S. stocks that ended with the subprime crisis.
The S&P 500 continued lower against bullion until 2011, when the People's Bank of China turned hawkish. A year or two later, stocks entered a new bull market by breaking above their previous high from 2007.
That uptrend continued until late 2021, when post-pandemic inflation lifted interest rates. Gold interestingly held its ground as the Federal Reserve tightened policy, an early sign of emerging strength.
The next interesting moment was early 2024, when stocks and the yellow metal both broke out to new highs. However, the S&P 500 still made a lower high when expressed as a ratio against gold.
Given worries about the U.S. fiscal deficit, inflation and de-dollarization, some investors may wonder whether the trend that began 25 years ago may remain in effect.
Check out TradingView's The Leap competition sponsored by TradeStation.
TradeStation has, for decades, advanced the trading industry, providing access to stocks, options and futures. If you're born to trade, we could be for you. See our Overview for more.
Past performance, whether actual or indicated by historical tests of strategies, is no guarantee of future performance or success. There is a possibility that you may sustain a loss equal to or greater than your entire investment regardless of which asset class you trade (equities, options or futures); therefore, you should not invest or risk money that you cannot afford to lose. Online trading is not suitable for all investors. View the document titled Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options at https://www.TradeStation.com/DisclosureOptions. Before trading any asset class, customers must read the relevant risk disclosure statements on https://www.TradeStation.com/Important-Information/. System access and trade placement and execution may be delayed or fail due to market volatility and volume, quote delays, system and software errors, Internet traffic, outages and other factors.
Securities and futures trading is offered to self-directed customers by TradeStation Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a futures commission merchant licensed with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission). TradeStation Securities is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the National Futures Association, and a number of exchanges.
TradeStation Securities, Inc. and TradeStation Technologies, Inc. are each wholly owned subsidiaries of TradeStation Group, Inc., both operating, and providing products and services, under the TradeStation brand and trademark. When applying for, or purchasing, accounts, subscriptions, products and services, it is important that you know which company you will be dealing with. Visit https://www.TradeStation.com/DisclosureTSCompanies for further important information explaining what this means.
Disclaimer
The information and publications are not meant to be, and do not constitute, financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice or recommendations supplied or endorsed by TradingView. Read more in the Terms of Use.
Disclaimer
The information and publications are not meant to be, and do not constitute, financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice or recommendations supplied or endorsed by TradingView. Read more in the Terms of Use.