News about stock index

The article notes the S&P 500 has delivered an average annual total return of about 10% since 1957 and rose 15% over the past 12 months, trading just 2% below its all-time high at 21 times forward earnings versus a 25-year average of 17. The index has suffered sharp drawdowns, including declines of 57% from 2007 to 2009, 34% in 2020 and 25% in 2022, yet its total return since 2007 is 686%. Even investors who bought at the January 3, 2022 peak, just before the Fed's rate hikes, would still have a 71% total return. The author concludes that long-term investors should not focus on timing the entry point, but start a position now and invest regularly each month using dollar-cost averaging.