2005 STA pgs1-119 8/26/04 11:57 AM Page 1 S T O C K TRADER’S A L M A N A C 2 O O 5 Yale Hirsch & Jeffrey A. Hirsch John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The Hirsch Organization Inc. ◆184 Central Avenue ◆Old Tappan NJ 07675 www.hirschorg.com 2005 STA pgs1-119 8/26/04 11:57 AM Page 2 Copyright © 2005 by Yale Hirsch and Jeffrey A. Hirsch. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada Editor in Chief Jeffrey A. Hirsch Editor at Large Yale Hirsch Vice President J. 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For general information on our other products and services, or technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at 800-762-2974, outside the United States at 317-572-3993 or fax 317-572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our Web site at www.wiley.com. ISBN: 0-471-64936-8 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 2005 STA pgs1-119 8/26/04 11:57 AM Page 3 This Thirty-Eighth Edition is respectfully dedicated to: Bob Pisani A CNBC On-Air Stocks Editor since 1990, who reports on the Markets from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Nominated twice for a CableACE Award, in 1993 and 1995, he is a voice of reason during turbulent markets, providing excellent insight to viewers while conveying market seasonality and recurring patterns with unmatched clarity. The Stock Trader’s Almanac®is an organizer. Its wealth of information is presented on a calendar basis. The Almanac puts investing in a business framework and makes investing easier because it: •updates investment knowledge and informs you of new techniques and tools. •is a monthly reminder and refresher course. • alerts you to both seasonal opportunities and dangers. • furnishes an historical viewpoint by providing pertinent statistics on past market performance. •supplies forms necessary for portfolio planning, record keeping and tax preparation. We are constantly searching for new insights and nuances about the stock market and welcome any suggestions from our readers. Have a healthy and prosperous 2005! Signifies THIRD FRIDAY OF THE MONTH on calendar pages and alerts you to extraordinary volatility due to expiration of equity and index options and index futures contracts. Triple-witching days appear during March, June, September and December. The BULL SYMBOL on calendar pages signifies very favorable trading days based on the S&P 500 rising 60% or more of the time on a particular trading day during the 21-year period January 1983 to December 2003 (see Recent S&P 500 Market Probability Calendar 2005, page 123). Market Probability Calendars for the NASDAQ, Dow and S&P for other time periods appear on pages 120-122. Other seasonalities near the ends, beginnings and middles of months; options expirations; around holidays; and other times are noted for Almanacinvestors’convenience on the weekly planner pages. 3 2005 STA pgs1-119 8/26/04 11:57 AM Page 4 INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRTY-EIGHTH EDITION We are pleased and proud to introduce the Thirty-Eighth Edition of the Stock Trader’s Almanac. The Almanac provides you with the necessary tools to invest successfully in the twenty-first century. J.P. Morgan’s classic retort “Stocks will fluctuate” is often quoted with a wink-of-the-eye implication that the only prediction one can make about the stock market is that it will go up, down, or sideways. Many investors agree that no one ever really knows which way the market will move. Nothing could be further from the truth. We discovered that while stocks do indeed fluctuate, they do so in well-defined, often predictable, patterns. These patterns recur too frequently to be the result of chance or coincidence. How else do we explain that since 1950 practically all the gains in the market were made during November through April compared to almost nothing May through October? (See page 50.) The Almanac is a practical investment tool. Its wealth of information is organized on a calendar basis. It alerts you to those little-known market patterns and tendencies on which shrewd professionals enhance profit potential. You will be able to forecast market trends with accuracy and confidence when you use the Almanac to help you understand: •How our presidential elections affect the economy and the stock market — just as the moon affects the tides. Many investors have made fortunes following the political cycle. You can be sure that money managers who control billions of millions of dollars are also political cycle watchers. Astute people do not ignore a pattern that has been working effectively throughout most of our economic history. •How the passage of the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution fathered the January Barometer. This barometer has an outstanding record for predicting the general course of the stock market each year with only five major errors since 1950 for a 90.7% accuracy ratio. •Why there is a significant market bias at certain times of the day, week, month and year. Even if you are an investor who pays scant attention to cycles, indicators and patterns, your investment survival could hinge on your interpretation of one of the recurring patterns found within these pages. One of the most intriguing and important patterns is the symbiotic relationship between Washington and Wall Street. Aside from the potential profitability in seasonal patterns, there’s the pure joy of seeing the market very often do just what you expected. There has never been a losing “fifth” year since 1885 (page 126). Years ending in five have the best record, as the strongest bull markets tend to favor the middle years of decades. But 2005 is a Post-Election year and investors have often “paid the piper” (page 36) the first year of a President’s term. In addition the struggling economy, swelling federal deficit, high oil and commodity prices, inflation and interest rates are likely to weigh heavily on stock prices. We are observing the potential formation of an ominous pattern — Three Peaks and Domed House. Developed by the late George Lindsay, this pattern, one of the most extraordinary in history, has occurred at almost every major market top as it did in 2000. Presently, the major averages have traced out the Three Peaks half of the pattern with tops in February (January for NASDAQ), April and June — the crucial separating decline section is now potentially underway. That could put the Domed House top some- time in the first half of 2005. We’ll be monitoring to see if this pattern pans out in our Almanac Investor newsletter and at stocktradersalmanac.com. Barring an unforeseen exogenous event that causes the market to collapse in the rest of 2004, by mid-2005 the bull cycle in play since the October 2002 bottom will likely be wearing thin and Wall Street as well as Washington will be wrestling with a host of economic and geopolitical hurdles, making the prospects for 2005 flat to down. — Jeffrey A. Hirsch, August 9, 2004 4 2005 STA pgs1-119 8/26/04 11:57 AM Page 5 THE 2005 STOCK TRADER’S ALMANAC CONTENTS 8 2005 Strategy Calendar 10 Prognosticating Tools And Patterns For 2005 12 January Almanac 14 January’s First Five Days An “Early Warning” System 16 The Incredible January Barometer (Devised 1972) Only Five Significant Errors In 54 Years 18 January Barometer In Graphic Form Since 1950 20 February Almanac 22 Hot January Industries Beat S&P 500 Next 11 Months 24 1933 “Lame Duck” Amendment Reason January Barometer Works 26 The Fifth Year Of Decades — No Losers In 120 Years 28 Market Charts Of Post-Presidential Election Years 30 March Almanac 32 Profit On Day Before St. Patrick’s Day 34 Market Behavior When White House Changes Hands 36 Post-Election Years: Paying The Piper 38 April Almanac 40 The December Low Indicator: A Useful Prognosticating Tool 42 Under Democrats $10,000 Grows To $279,705 But Only To $78,699 Under The Republicans 44 Down Januarys: A Remarkable Record 46 May Almanac 48 Top Performing Months Past 541/ Years 2 Standard & Poor’s 500 & Dow Jones Industrials 50 “Best Six Months” Still An Eye-Popping Strategy 52 MACD-Timing Triples “Best Six Months” Results 54 Top Performing NASDAQ Months Past 331/ Years 2 56 June Almanac 58 Get More Out of NASDAQ’s “Best Eight Months” With MACD-Timing 60 Dow Gains Most First Two Days Of Week 62 First-Trading-Day-Of-The-Month Phenomenon 2005 STA pgs1-119 8/26/04 11:57 AM Page 6 64 July Almanac 66 2003 Daily Dow Point Changes 68 Gridlock On Capitol Hill Is Best For The Markets 70 A Rally For All Seasons 72 August Almanac 74 First Month Of Quarters Is The Most Bullish 76 Aura Of The Triple Witch — Quarters 1 And 4 Bullish But Down Weeks Trigger More Weakness Week After 78 Almanac Investing 101 82 September Almanac 84 A Correction For All Seasons 86 Market Behavior Three Days Before And Three Days After Holidays 88 Market Gains More Eight Days A Months Than On All 13 Remaining Days Combined 90 October Almanac 92 Eight Steps For Driving A Stake Through The Heart Of Bureaucracy 96 Trade Like A Hedge Fund: Best Investment Book Of The Year 98 Year’s Top Investment Books 102 November Almanac 104 A Powerful New Tool For Almanac Investors 106 Most Of The So-Called “January Effect” Takes Place In The Last Half Of December 108 Trading The Thanksgiving Market 110 December Almanac 112 Wall Street’s Only “Free Lunch” Now Served At Year-End 114 January Effect Now Starts In Mid-December 116 If Santa Claus Should Fail To Call Bears May Come To Broad & Wall 118 Sector Seasonality: Selected Percentage Plays 120 NASDAQ Composite Market Probability Calendar 2005 121 Dow Jones Industrials Market Probability Calendar 2005 122 S&P 500 Market Probability Calendar 2005 123 RecentS&P 500 Market Probability Calendar 2005 124 2006 Strategy Calendar 126 Decennial Cycle: A Market Phenomenon 127 Presidential Election/Stock Market Cycle The 171-Year Saga Continues 128 Bull And Bear Markets Since 1900 2005 STA pgs1-119 8/26/04 11:57 AM Page 7 DIRECTORY OF TRADING PATTERNS & DATABANK 130 A Typical Day In The Market 131 Through the Week On A Half-Hourly Basis 132 Monday Now Most Profitable Day Of Week 133 NASDAQ Days Of The Week 134 S&P Daily Performance Each Year Since 1952 135 NASDAQ Daily Performance Each Year Since 1971 136 Monthly Cash Inflows Into S&P Stocks 137 Monthly Cash Inflows Into NASDAQ Stocks 138 November, December, And January — Year’s Best Three Month Span 139 November Through June — NASDAQ’s Eight-Month Run 140 Standard & Poor’s 500 Monthly Percent Changes 142 Standard & Poor’s 500 Monthly Closing Prices 144 Dow Jones Industrials Monthly Percent Changes 146 Dow Jones Industrials Monthly Point Changes 148 Dow Jones Industrials Monthly Closing Prices 150 NASDAQ Composite Monthly Percent Changes 152 NASDAQ Composite Monthly Closing Prices 154 Best & Worst DowDays 155 Best & Worst NASDAQDays 156 Best & Worst DowWeeks 157 Best & Worst NASDAQWeeks 158 Best & Worst DowMonths 159 Best & Worst NASDAQMonths 160 Best & Worst Dow& NASDAQYears STRATEGY PLANNING & RECORD SECTION 162 Portfolio At Start Of 2005 164 Additional Purchases 167 Short-Term Transactions 173 Long-Term Transactions 177 Interest/Dividends Received During 2005/Brokerage Account Data 2005 178 Portfolio At End Of 2005 180 Weekly Portfolio Price Record 2005 (First Half) 182 Weekly Portfolio Price Record 2005 (Second Half) 184 Weekly Indicator Data 2005 186 Monthly Indicator Data 2005 187 If You Don’t Profit From Your Investment Mistakes Someone Else Will/Performance Record Of Recommendations 188 IRA: Most Awesome Investment Incentive Ever Devised 189 Top One Hundred-Forty Exchange Traded Funds 190 G.M. Loeb’s “Battle Plan” For Investment Survival 191 G.M. Loeb’s Investment Survival Checklist 192 Important Contacts 2005 STA pgs1-119 8/26/04 11:57 AM Page 8 2005 STRATEGY CALENDAR (Option expiration dates encircled) MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY 27 28 29 30 31 1 JANUARY 2 New Year’s Day 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Y 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 R A U 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 N Martin Luther King Day A J 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 FEBRUARY 2 3 4 5 6 Y 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 R Ash Wednesday A ♥ 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 U R B 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 E F Presidents’Day 28 1 MARCH 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 (cid:1) 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 H C St. Patrick’s Day R 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 A Good Friday Easter M 28 29 30 31 1 APRIL 2 3 Daylight Saving Time Begins 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 L RI 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 P Passover A 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 MAY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Mother’s Day 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Y 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 A M 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 JUNE 2 3 4 5 Memorial Day 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 E N 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 U Father’s Day J 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Market closed on shaded weekdays;closes early when half-shaded. 2005 STA pgs1-119 8/26/04 11:57 AM Page 9 2005 STRATEGY CALENDAR (Option expiration dates encircled) MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY 27 28 29 30 1 JULY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Independence Day J 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 U L Y 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 AUGUST 2 3 4 5 6 7 A 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 U G U 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 S T 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1SEPTEMBER 2 3 4 S E 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 P Labor Day T E 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 M B E 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 R 26 27 28 29 30 1 OCTOBER 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 O Rosh Hashanah C 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 TO Columbus Day Yom Kippur B 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 E R 24 25 26 27 28 29 30Daylight Saving Time Ends 31 1 NOVEMBER 2 3 4 5 6 N O 7 8 Election Day 9 10 11Veterans’Day 12 13 V E M 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 B E 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 R Thanksgiving 28 29 30 1 DECEMBER 2 3 4 D E 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 C E M 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 B E R 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Christmas 26 27 28 29 30 31 Chanukah