
Understanding Market Downturns
Since 1980 there have been:
- 12 Corrections - Declines of 10% or more
- 8 Bear Markets - Declines of 20% or more, at least two months long
- 5 Recessions - Declines in economic conditions for two or more successive quarters (refers to declines in the broad economy rather than the financial markets, though the two can be linked). Source: Vanguard.
For prepared investors, market downturns can represent great opportunity.
Nearly everywhere you turn, from friends and colleagues to cable news shows, you can find someone with a strong opinion about the financial markets. People will often use specific terms such as correction or bear market to render judgments about the direction of markets, especially when market performance is choppy or trending down.
Is it worth getting concerned when markets stop or even reverse their upward advance?
To answer that, it’s important to realize that downturns are not rare events: Typical investors, in all markets, endure many of them during their lifetimes.
Even knowing this, it can be unsettling to witness the decline of your portfolio
during one of these events. After all, that account balance is more than a
number—it represents very important personal goals, such as the ability to
retire comfortably or to provide a quality education for family members. When
market conditions place those goals in jeopardy, you may feel compelled to do
something, such as sell most or all of your investments. You may assume that
converting to cash will give you a better long-term result than staying invested.
But such action would shut you out of the strong recoveries that have historically
followed market downturns. The answer is to come up with a game plan before
the next market pullback, so you’re well-positioned to try to take advantage of
the opportunities that follow. What’s more, you’ll probably know what to expect
as markets cycle through their phases, so you can tune out messages that don’t
help your strategy.
It’s worth noting that not all financial declines are the same in length or severity—for example, historically speaking, the
global financial crisis and Great Recession of 2008–2009 was an extreme anomaly. As challenging as that event was, it was
followed by the longest stock market recovery in U.S. history.1
Best defense: Making a plan and sticking to it
We can develop a plan now that prepares you and your portfolio for financial system shocks, whenever they happen
to occur. That means focusing on the factors of your investing strategy we can control (including things such as asset
allocation and costs) and not worrying about those things out of our control, such as downturns in the markets and
economy.
In the meantime, remember that bearish market conditions—while inevitable—don’t last forever. As a savvy investor, you
can ignore short-term pullbacks of the market (and any commentary that might cause you to veer off course) and remain
committed to achieving your long-term vision.
Downturns come and go. The results of a well-designed and faithfully followed plan, on the other hand, can serve you the
rest of your life.
In coming up with the best plan for you, it is helpful for you to think about the following:
- How do you feel about risk? Are you OK with a greater amount of up-and-down movement in your portfolio if it means potentially higher returns? Or, alternatively, would you rather have more stability in your portfolio even if it means forgoing higher returns?
- we can adjust your portfolio’s risk profile to a level appropriate for your personal risk-comfort level and investing objectives.
Notes: All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.
Mid and small-capitalization stocks historically have been more volatile than large-cap stocks.
Investments in bonds are subject to credit, interest rate, and inflation risk. High-yield bonds present higher credit risk than other types
of bonds.
Be aware that fluctuations in the financial markets and other factors may cause declines in the value of your account. There is no
guarantee that any particular asset allocation or mix of funds will meet your investment objectives or provide you with a given level of
income.
Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC, a
registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Wurm & Frye Wealth Management is a separate
entity from WFAFN.