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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
If omens and rituals figure as much in your investment decision-making as reading a company's annual report, maybe you should rethink your position on Friday the 13th.
Comparing the Dow Jones Industrial performance on a typical Friday from 1955 to 2005 to those times when the 13th day of the month fell on a Friday, revealed that the index performed better on the day synonymous with bad luck and superstition.
"If anything, it is a good time to be in the market based on past history," said Michael Panzner, the head of sales trading and a vice-president at the brokerage house Rabo Securities, who produced the study.
On average, the Dow ended positive 56.63 percent of the time when it was Friday, the 13th compared to a typical Friday, which ended higher 53.01 percent of the time. The Dow ended in negative territory 43.84 percent of the time on the average Friday and 40.96 when it was Friday, the 13th.
Panzner, who said he came up with the idea more for entertainment than empirical purposes, said that the trend might be due to the fact that market performs better on Fridays in general.
One reason for that phenomenon: The possibility of weekend news that could lift markets on Monday. To prepare, traders might buy before the close on Friday, covering short positions or building new ones.
"It seems to be a fear/hope that news will come out over the weekend that will help the stock," he said. "For some reason that two-day period seems to stir up these sentiments."
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