The Stock Market's Best Quarter of the Year Is About to Start. The S&P 500 Has Risen in 34 of the Last 41.

Key Points Since 1985, the S&P 500 has risen in 34 of 41 fourth quarters, averaging a gain of about 4.4% -- the best record of the year's four quarters. The quarter's three worst losses, in 1987, 2008, and 2018, came with a market crash, a financial crisis, and a Fed tightening cycle. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Sept. 16 for the first time since 2023. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday for the first time since 2023, and the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) finished that session around 7,550 -- still up about 10% for the year, but about 3% below the record high it set in mid-August. In other words, investors head toward October with a fresh reason to worry.