What happened last time? › Combinations
What happens in a bear market when the Fed starts cutting?
It has happened 10 times since 1937. A year after it began, the S&P 500 was up 6 of 10 times, with a median move of +10.2%. On an ordinary day in the same years the median was +9.9%, up 72% of the time.
S&P 500 more than 20% below its 1-year high · a Fed rate cut in the last 90 days. Not true on 2026-09-25.
What came next
| 1 month later | 1 year later | 3 years later | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | -0.6% 50% up · n 10 · normal +1.1% | +10.2% 60% up · n 10 · normal +9.9% | +21.3% 70% up · n 10 · normal +27.1% |
| Gold | +1.1% 56% up · n 9 · normal 0.0% | +9.0% 67% up · n 9 · normal +2.9% | +41.3% 78% up · n 9 · normal +10.4% |
| Oil | -2.1% 33% up · n 9 · normal 0.0% | -9.2% 33% up · n 9 · normal 0.0% | +31.8% 67% up · n 9 · normal +8.9% |
| 10-year yield (pts) | 0.00 pts 44% up · n 9 · normal +0.01 pts | -0.16 pts 44% up · n 9 · normal +0.09 pts | -0.38 pts 33% up · n 9 · normal +0.06 pts |
| Inflation, CPI y/y (pts) | -0.20 pts 44% up · n 9 · normal 0.00 pts | -3.54 pts 10% up · n 10 · normal -0.01 pts | -1.47 pts 30% up · n 10 · normal +0.02 pts |
| Unemployment rate (pts) | +0.30 pts 89% up · n 9 · normal 0.00 pts | +1.40 pts 89% up · n 9 · normal -0.20 pts | +0.40 pts 67% up · n 9 · normal -0.40 pts |
Median move after each episode began, how often it rose, and how many episodes had data. "Normal" is the same move from any trading day in the same years.
Every time it happened
- 2020-03-12 · true for 18 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: +59.0%
- 2008-10-08 · true for 108 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: +8.2%
- 2008-07-09 · true for 6 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: -29.1%
- 2002-11-06 · true for 59 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: +14.5%
- 2001-06-15 · true for 88 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: -17.1%
- 2001-03-12 · true for 27 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: -1.2%
- 1987-11-04 · true for 123 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: +12.1%
- 1982-08-04 · true for 9 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: +52.0%
- 1974-12-09 · true for 46 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: +33.1%
- 1937-09-07 · true for 64 trading days · S&P 500 a year later: -15.5%
- 10 separate episodes: a new one starts after 30 days without a match, so one long selloff counts once.
- Try enough situations and one will look like an edge by chance.
- Macro numbers are as published at the time. Stocks include companies that later died.
- How these numbers are made.
More about combinations
- What happens when stocks fall 10% in a month while inflation is above 4%?
- What happens in a bear market during an announced recession?
- What happens in a bear market with no recession announced?
- What happens when the yield curve is inverted and unemployment is rising?
- What happens when oil rises 50% in a year and inflation is above 5%?
- What happens when the VIX is above 40 and the Fed has just cut?
- What happens when gold rises while stocks fall?
- What happens when bond yields jump and stocks fall?