The S&P 500 has shown remarkable performance in 2024, with an impressive year-to-date rally of 22%, outperforming global stocks by 13%. This marks the eighth year of outperformance over the last decade. Historically, the S&P 500 has only lost money in four election years, including 1932, 1940, 2000, and 2008. Despite near-term volatility due to the upcoming presidential election, the S&P 500's performance has been robust, with a 19.6% gain by the end of October, making it the best US election year for the index. The index has had eight up months and two down months so far in 2024, with a forward two-month return historically positive. FactSet data shows the S&P 500's performance during the week before and week of a Presidential Election. Additionally, the NASDAQ has been up 4 of the last 5 presidential election years, with an average gain for the DJIA, S&P 500, and NASDAQ on the first trading days of November.