• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Finance

This may be one of the worst times of year for U.S. stocks. Here’s why investors shouldn’t be worried

Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 22, 2021, 3:04 PM ET

Cryptocurrency investors are already feeling some serious pain with the plunge in Bitcoin this week, but now U.S. stocks are heading into one of the historically weakest times of the year.

According to LPL Financial’s Ryan Detrick, “The Fed and inflation get the headlines for why stocks are weak, but be aware one of the worst times of the year is late June,” he wrote on Twitter last week, pointing out in a chart that it’s one of the weaker periods of the year for the S&P 500 based on historical returns going back to 1950, per LPL’s data.

The Fed and inflation get the headlines for why stocks are weak, but be aware one of the worst times of the year is late June. pic.twitter.com/YMo9I7pjQ3

— Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) June 18, 2021

It is what it is, stocks don't like this part of the year much. pic.twitter.com/LhouwsrRpB

— Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) June 18, 2021

“Part of it is just the start of the vacation season, and when [trading] volumes dry up—that tends to lead to weaker stock market performance,” LPL’s Jeff Buchbinder told Fortune.

But importantly, Buchbinder added, “when you look at the June seasonal [trading numbers] historically for the whole month, it’s actually been a decent month recently.”

Indeed, per a recent LPL research report, the S&P 500 has actually been higher during the month of June the past five years in a row, up 1% on average in the past 10 years. “That’s not bad at all,” says Buchbinder. “June’s reputation as a bad month is not deserved,” he argued.

And though Buchbinder said it was hard to point to one reason why there’s weakness in late June, “right now, in this cycle, it’s really all about inflation and the Fed.”

Indeed, the S&P 500 was trading lower last week, down roughly 1.9% from last Tuesday through Friday as the Fed signaled two possible rate hikes by the end of 2023 on the back of spiking inflation. But stocks have gained ground this week, with the S&P 500 hovering near another all-time high after rising some 1.4% on Monday.

“Late June and into July, when you have seasonal weaknesses, it’s a logical time for the market to hit some of those speed bumps, but we think you’ll be able to attribute any bumpiness to inflation and the Fed for at least the next couple of months, and probably longer,” said Buchbinder.

Other strategists see things looking up from here.

Lauren Goodwin, economist and portfolio strategist at New York Life Investments, argued “the Fed’s adjusted path is hardly a recession-starter. Higher short-term rates in 2023 and fewer asset purchases in 2022 are unlikely to dramatically shift the ongoing rebound in economic growth,” she wrote in a Tuesday note. “Instead, this brief unwind will represent an opportunity to build positions in the reflation theme,” through stocks like higher-quality value and cyclical stocks.

LPL’s Buchbinder, meanwhile, says he’s still favoring value and cyclicals like industrials, materials, and financials against the backdrop of “strong momentum” in the economy and earnings growth.

And for now, stocks don’t seem too fussed. The S&P 500 is trading roughly 0.5% higher as of early Tuesday afternoon trading.

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.

About the Author
Anne Sraders
By Anne Sraders
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

The Bread Savings logo on a green layered background.
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Bread Savings CD rates 2026: Standard and IRA CDs with top-tier APYs
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 2, 2026
40 minutes ago
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of March 2, 2026
By Danny BakstMarch 2, 2026
1 hour ago
Top CD rates from big banks for March 2, 2026
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on March 2, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Danny BakstMarch 2, 2026
2 hours ago
Price of silver: Monday, March 2, 2026
Personal Financesilver
Current price of silver as of Monday, March 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 2, 2026
2 hours ago
Price of platinum: Monday, March 2, 2026
Personal Financemoney management
Current price of platinum as of Monday, March 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 2, 2026
2 hours ago
iran
Middle EastMiddle East
How the Oct. 7 attacks led to a multiyear destruction of Iran’s proxy militias
By Adam Geller, Abby Sewell and The Associated PressMarch 2, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Your grandparents are the reason the U.S. isn't in a recession right now. That won't last forever
By Eleanor PringleMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
MacKenzie Scott's close relationship with Toni Morrison long before Amazon put her on the path give more than $1 billion to HBCUs
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
U.S. military gives Iran a taste of its own medicine with cheap copycat Shahed drones, while concern shifts to munitions supply in extended conflict
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
As Iran attacks Dubai, the tax-free haven for the global elite could see 'catastrophic' fallout — 'this can also send shockwaves globally'
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Gen Z men are eating ‘boy kibble,’ the human equivalent to dog food, to load up on protein cheaply
By Jake AngeloMarch 1, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
American schools weren’t broken until Silicon Valley used a lie to convince them they were—now reading and math scores are plummeting
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.