After a down year in 2022, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has pulled off three consecutive years of double-digit gains (16% in 2025, 23% in 2024, and 24% in 2023). It's only the eighth time that this has happened since 1926. Who knows what 2026 holds for the stock market's most popular index? But with the U.S. midterm elections in November, there's an interesting pattern worth noting. It's a historical pattern that could work in investors' favor -- but there's a catch. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our ...