U.S. Stocks Posted 73 Up Years in 99, With Just 5 Big Down Years Since 1928
Updated
Updated · A Wealth of Common Sense · Jul 7
U.S. Stocks Posted 73 Up Years in 99, With Just 5 Big Down Years Since 1928
2 articles · Updated · A Wealth of Common Sense · Jul 7
Summary
A 1928-2025 review shows the U.S. stock market finished higher in 73 of 99 calendar years if 2026 gains hold, underscoring how often equities end positive.
The long-run average annual return was 10%, but yearly results were uneven and hard to predict from one year to the next.
Big gains were far more common than big losses: 26 years delivered returns of 25% or more, including 18 years above 30%.
Only 5 calendar years lost more than 25%, and 3 of those came in the 1930s; since World War II, such steep annual declines have happened just twice.
The broader takeaway is that sharp selloffs are painful but rare, while the market has historically risen most of the time.