During the first six months of the year, the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) stock market index rose by 12.6%. This is the most the index has risen from the prior year end to the mid point of the following year since 1998 when the stock market index was up 16.8%.

Over the 63 years since 1951 the 12.6% first half of the year return has been bested 14 times.