Can Stocks Extend Their 6-Week Winning Streak?

Although down on the open this morning, the major indices are starting today with 6-week winning streaks behind them. The Dow , S&P 500 and NASDAQ are up 22.70%, 27.25%, and 29.31% over their respective runs. On a percentage basis, the indices are having their best 6-week rallies in years (see details here).

But what about length of streaks? Can the markets keep going up week after week? These are the longest weekly streaks for the Dow and S&P since May 2007 and for the NASDAQ since December 2005 but we are far from record territory when it comes to staying power…

• The Dow has had 6-weeks in a row or more of gains 75 times (including the current streak)
• The S&P 500 has had 6-weeks in a row or more of gains 58 times (including the current streak)
• The NASDAQ has had 6-weeks in a row or more of gains 40 times (including the current streak)
• The NASDAQ holds the record with a 15-week winning streak that ended in March 1972 when it gained 26.5% over the stretch.

Bank of America , Citigroup and other financials are weighing on the markets today, creating an uphill battle for the rest of the week in order for the streaks to continue. However, the markets also fell the past two Mondays and recovered before the week was over.

Here are some of the longest streaks on record:

15 weeks

• Dow: N/A
• S&P: N/A
• NASDAQ: 26.5% over 15 weeks ending 3/10/1972

14 weeks

• Dow: 11.2% over 14 weeks ending 10/29/1965
• S&P: N/A
• NASDAQ: N/A

13 weeks

• Dow: 7.4% over 13 weeks ending 3/13/1964
• S&P: 9.3% over 13 weeks ending 6/14/1957
• NASDAQ: N/A

12 weeks

• Dow: 21.3% over 12 weeks ending 1/9/1925
• S&P: 16.4% over 12 weeks ending 12/20/1985
• NASDAQ: N/A

11 weeks

• Dow: 9.9% over 11 weeks ending 5/17/1963
• S&P: N/A
• NASDAQ: Has happened 5 times
  21.8% over 11 weeks ending 2/20/1976
  19.2% over 11 weeks ending 5/19/1978
  15.6% over 11 weeks ending 12/13/1985
  13.1% over 11 weeks ending 6/9/1989
  49.0% over 11 weeks ending 12/31/1999

10 weeks

• Dow: Has happened 4 times
  28.7% over 10 weeks ending 12/2/1904
  20.9% over 10 weeks ending 6/6/1919
  18.3% over 10 weeks ending 5/24/1935
  11.1% over 10 weeks ending 5/12/1995
• S&P: Has happened 2 times
  14.2% over 10 weeks ending 2/12/1943
  10.0% over 10 weeks ending 5/10/1963
• NASDAQ: Has happened 2 times
  36.2% over 10 weeks ending 10/22/1982
  10.9% over 10 weeks ending 2/3/1989

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