Market timing requires a skill that’s almost impossible to master.
An investor not only has to determine when stock prices have peaked (so you can sell), but also when they have bottomed (so you can buy).
In recent weeks, many people have muttered, “I should have sold before the events escalated in the Middle East.” (BTW, some were the same people who last year said, “I should have sold before the tariff talk picked up.”)
Hypothetically, let’s say you did have the foresight to sell in February 2026 before the Middle East became front-page news. Would you have had the conviction to buy back in during the pullback in March, when markets were under pressure and uncertainty was elevated?
Maybe. But what’s your next market timing strategy? And the next after that?
“In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield,” said Warren Buffett, who is well known for encouraging investors not to watch the markets too closely.
Markets have already worked through that recent bout of volatility and have moved back toward prior highs — a reminder of how quickly sentiment can shift. But that doesn’t mean the road ahead will be smooth. The situation in the Middle East remains unresolved, trade tensions continue to evolve, and the Fed held rates steady for the third consecutive meeting — reinforcing just how uncertain the path forward still is.
So, stay focused on the strategy we created. Enjoy the longer days leading up to summer. And remember, as today’s chart shows, missing one or two days can make a big difference.