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The week's question
In March 2025, in the thread "Re: OT, out", Umm asked the members: "Do you think it is because America is made up of magical soil that makes businesses based in America magically profitable?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
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Author: maxthetrade ⎊⎊  😊 😞
Number: of 22351 
Subject: Re: The "Buffett Indicator" LOL...
Date: 02/12/26 6:09 AM
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I’ve been playing around with Gemini a bit and asked how high it estimates the probability that the S&P 500 will not be higher in 5 years than it is today. FWIW, here is the answer:

Based on historical data and current market models, the probability that the S&P 500 will not be higher in 5 years (February 2031) than it is today can be assessed in a differentiated manner.
Statistical Probability
Historically, a 5-year period is usually profitable, but extreme overvaluations shift the odds:
Historical Average: For any random 5-year window, the statistical probability of a loss is only about 10%.
Valuation-Adjusted Risk: In market phases where the Shiller P/E (CAPE) was above 35-38 (currently approx. 40.36), the probability of a "lost decade" or stagnant 5-year periods increased massively.
Historically, such levels were often followed by nominal returns of only 0% to 3% per year.
Why a Sideways Movement is Likely
The combination of the Buffett Indicator (approx. 224%) and high market concentration leads to the following forecasts:
Low Expected Values: Institutions like Goldman Sachs forecast a nominal annual return of only approx. 3% for the next 10 years. In a 5-year window, a single moderate recession or a mere return to
average valuation ("Mean Reversion") can be enough to completely eliminate these gains.
No "Cushion": Current valuations leave no room for error. If earnings growth (currently optimistically expected at 10-14% for 2026) disappoints, a correction to levels seen in 2021 is a distinct possibility.
Probability Estimate
Including the extreme overvaluation (2 standard deviations above the trend), the risk of a negative or flat real return over 5 to 10 years is significantly higher than the historical average.
Nominal estimate: The probability that the S&P 500 will nominally not be higher in 5 years, due to the current "Priced for Perfection" situation, is estimated at 25% to 35%.
Real (inflation-adjusted): The probability that you will not have gained any purchasing power after inflation is even higher and could be over 50%.
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This community has written 21,861 posts about Berkshire Hathaway. The article-length ones it recommended most:
BRK: Why Not XOM? · 62 recs · 2024
Second quarter comments · 60 recs · 2023
Berkshire's Profit Contributors · 58 recs · 2023
Summary of 2Q 2026 · 55 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
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