This has been an unforgettable and truly wild year on Wall Street. During the first quarter, panic and uncertainty tied to the coronavirus pandemic pushed the broad-based S&P 500 lower by 34% in 33 calendar days. This was the quickest bear market decline in history. But it was followed by five months of almost nonstop rallying that ultimately sent the S&P 500 to a fresh all-time high this past week.
While volatility is often a great thing for long-term investors (it allows those with patience to pick up great stocks on the cheap), it also has a tendency to bring short-term traders out of the woodwork.
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