MLB All-Star Game: A Catalyst For The Second Half?

Baseball fans enjoyed a classic All-Star Game Tuesday night that was capped off by a dramatic extra-inning, game-winning home run by the American League’s Robinson Cano. Cano’s big hit led the American League to its fifth straight All-Star Game victory.

For superstitious traders who are also baseball fans, Benzinga took a fun look back at how the S&P 500 has performed in the second half of years in which the American League has one the MLB All-Star game compared to the years the National League has won.

The S&P 500 is coming off a red-hot first half of the year in which the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY gained 7.3 percent.

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Going back to 2001, the American League has now won 12 of the past 15 game, excluding the controversial tie in 2002.

In those 12 years the American League has scored a victory, the S&P 500 has averaged a second-half return of 3.3 percent. In those years, the S&P 500 has delivered gains in the second half of the year two-thirds of the time.

In the three years the National League emerged victorious, the S&P 500 averaged a 6.9 percent second-half return, although that average is heavily influenced by the huge 22.4 percent second-half gain in 2010.

So if you believe the outcome of the MLB All-Star Game has any influence over the U.S. stock market, you were probably rooting for the National League this year. You might also consider hiring a professional to manage your investment portfolio.