The Worst Decade Since the Thirties

What's more surprising?  That we're already nine years into the first decade of the 21st century, or that those first nine years are on pace to be the worst start to a decade since the 1930s?  Unless we get a major rally to close out the year (15%+), this will only be the third time since 1900 that the Dow Jones posted negative returns in the first nine years of a decade (excluding dividends).  In the 1910s the Dow declined by 17% from 1910 through 1918, but managed to salvage the decade with a 30% return in the final year.  After the roaring twenties, the Dow declined by 38% from 1930 through 1938, and then capped it off with a 3% decline in 1939.

Subscribe to Bespoke Premium to receive more in-depth research from Bespoke.