As the S&P 500 enters bull market territory, here's what to consider before you invest (2024)

FAQs

As the S&P 500 enters bull market territory, here's what to consider before you invest? ›

The greater a portfolio's exposure to the S&P 500 index, the more the ups and downs of that index will affect its balance. That is why experts generally recommend a 60/40 split between stocks and bonds. That may be extended to 70/30 or even 80/20 if an investor's time horizon allows for more risk.

The simplest way to invest in the index is through S&P 500 index funds or ETFs that replicate the index. You can purchase these in a taxable brokerage account, or if you're investing for retirement, in a 401(k) or IRA, which come with added tax benefits.

Investors who want to benefit from a bull market should buy early in order to take advantage of rising prices and sell them when they've reached their peak. Although it is hard to determine when the bottom and peak will take place, most losses will be minimal and are usually temporary.

One important thing for all investors to learn is that timing the market is impossible. And quite frankly, it's unimportant if you're investing in a high-quality S&P 500 index fund for the long term. Even if you buy at a market peak, your long-term returns should likely be excellent.

Assuming an average annual return rate of about 10% (a typical historical average), a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 could potentially grow to approximately $25,937 over 10 years.

A popular strategy in bull market trading is buying a call option, which is a contract with a due date that gives you the right to buy a certain asset at a specified price. You may end up deciding not to buy at all as there's no obligation to do so, but you'd lose the premium you committed to buy the call option.

Benefits of investing during a bull market

Profit potential: Bull markets are characterized by rising asset prices, which can lead to significant gains for investors. This presents opportunities to grow wealth and achieve financial goals.

Behaviour mistake 1: Selling in a panic at all-time highs

The thought of a market fall can make you want to sell your investments and buy back later. After all, they say, "Buy Low, Sell High." But here's why this might not be the best idea: All-time highs are a normal part of long-term investing in stocks.

What not to do with stocks? ›

Common investing mistakes include not doing enough research, reacting emotionally, not diversifying your portfolio, not having investment goals, not understanding your risk tolerance, only looking at short-term returns, and not paying attention to fees.

Analyst recommendations typically come in the form of a rating, such as “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.” Each rating reflects the analyst's opinion on the stock's potential performance. A “buy” rating indicates that the analyst believes the stock is undervalued and has the potential to increase in price.

Answer and Explanation: The priority for an investor is sufficient liquidity. Liquidity allows an investor to buy and sell quickly without spending too much money on processing costs. Additionally, it allows an investor to ditch losing investments when a downward trend is observed quickly.

The Needham Aggressive Growth Retail fund beat the S&P 500 index over the past one-, three-, five- and 10-year periods. Its 10-year average return was 12.78%.

Investing products such as stocks can have much higher returns than savings accounts and CDs. Over time, the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index (S&P 500), has returned about 10 percent annually, though the return can fluctuate greatly in any given year. Investing products are generally very liquid.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett has regularly recommended an S&P 500 index fund.

SPY, VOO and IVV are among the most popular S&P 500 ETFs. These three S&P 500 ETFs are quite similar, but may sometimes diverge in terms of costs or daily returns.

For beginners, the vast array of index funds options can be overwhelming. We recommend Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) (minimum investment: $1; expense Ratio: 0.03%); Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) (minimum investment: NA; expense Ratio: 0.2%); and SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA).

Investing in a broad market index fund can take a lot of the guesswork away. If you're not a confident investor, an S&P 500 index fund could be your best choice. If you're willing to do the work and research stocks individually, you might enjoy stronger gains in your retirement account.