03/05/2024
S&P 500 SHOOTING FOR ANOTHER SUPER-CHARGED SPAN OF WEEKLY GAINS
Since bottoming in late October, the S&P 500 index
SPX
has staged an impressive advance. The SPX has rallied more than 20% off the late-October low, and has hit record highs.
Meanwhile, in mid-February, the S&P 500 did something it hasn't done in more than 50 years. That is, it rose 14 out of the past 15 weeks. Prior to this, that last happened in March 1972.
Using LSEG data back to 1928, the SPX has now only posted a rolling 14-out-of-15-week span of gains 13 times.
On February 16, the benchmark index failed to score a rolling 15-out-of-16-week span of gains, which is also something that last happened in March 1972. That was a very high bar, however, as it's only happened 7 times since 1928.
Then through last Friday, February 23, the SPX did end higher for the week, marking its 15th-weekly gain out of the past 17 weeks. Prior to that, the last time it did that was August 1989, and it's something that's now happened 29 times since 1928.
Now this week, going into Friday, the SPX stands at 5,096.27, up 0.147% for the week. If it closes above 5,088.80 today, it will be up 16-out-of-the-past-18 weeks.The last rolling 16-out-of-18-week advance ended in April 1971, and it's happened only 19 times since 1928:
(See Image Above)
If the index ends up Friday, and scores its 16th-weekly gain out of the past 18 weeks, it will be setting up another especially high bar for next week, as it would then be attempting to rise for a 17th week out of the past 19 weeks.
The S&P 500 last did this with a stretch that ended 60 years ago, in March 1964, and it's only happened 10 times since 1928.