Page 50 - DIY Magazine March 2018
P. 50
APRIL MARKET SEASONALITY EFFECTS AND ANOMALIES
The latest edition of Stephen Eckett’s fascinating reference book may have you scratching your head in search of a rational explanation for what is presented, but one thing is for sure, you’ll return to it again and again as 2018 unfolds.
THE STOCK MARKET IN APRIL
Historically, April has been one of the best months for equities. Since 1970 the average return for the FTSE All- Share Index in the month has been 2.6%, with positive returns seen in 83% of Aprils in the last 47 years.
This is the best record, by quite a margin, for any month in the year. And the strong performance has continued in recent years. Since 2000 the average month return for the index has been 2.0% and, as can be seen in the accompanying chart, the market has only fallen in April in five years since 2000.
DIY Investor Magazine | Mar 2018 50
