The S&P 500 ($SPX) is currently down 4.2% year-to-date as of March 26th, with 50% of trading days closing in the red. This performance is compared to the same period in 2025, when the index was down 10.2% with 61% of days closing red. The analysis suggests that while the current market feels volatile due to war headlines, the year-over-year decline is less severe than the previous year.