# History Says Stock Market Sell-Off Coming

> Vanguard S&P 500 ETF offers safe haven before market crash.
- Title: History Says Stock Market Sell-Off Coming · The Motley Fool
- Summary: Vanguard S&P 500 ETF offers safe haven before market crash. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) provides long-term stability during market downturns with 10.5%…
- Keywords: s&p 500, vanguard, etf, stock market, sell-off, voo, dow jones, nasdaq composite, finance, money, History, Stock
- Source: The Motley Fool — https://fool.com/investing/2026/10/16/history-stock-market-sell-off-coming-etf-buy
- Author: Chris Neiger
- Published: 2026-10-16T10:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: s&p 500, vanguard, etf, stock market, sell-off, voo, dow jones, nasdaq composite, finance, money
## Current Market Strength
The S&P 500 up 78% and Nasdaq Composite up 99% over three years.
## CAPE Ratio Warning
Shiller cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio at 41, far above historic average of 17.8.
## Market Overvaluation Risk
Most recent gains concentrated in artificial intelligence stocks, with 40% of S&P 500 stocks declining this year.
## Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) offers 10.5% average annual returns since 1957 with 1.05% dividend yield.
## Long-Term Strategy
Staying invested during market downturns yields higher returns, with 7 of 10 best days within two weeks of worst days.
## Key takeaway

The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) provides long-term stability during market downturns with 10.5% average annual returns since 1957.