Last updated: September 6th, 2024
This page has the comparisons between Ford vs Reagan across all the metrics we track. President Ford and President Reagan data are no longer in office. Their data has been set to be as equivalent by days in office to make a fair comparison of their performance. This accounts for presidents that had one term vs two terms, or presidents that had a much shortened term.
With respect to cumulative performance, Gerald Ford has performed better on 0 out of the 5 metrics we track. President Ford's lowest performance difference was on DOW Jones Index performing -107.19% worse than President Reagan.
We highly recommend you read this article as well prior: What's the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
How does Ford compare to Reagan in the stock market? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized performance between Ford and Reagan in the stock market. Cumulatively across the S&P 500, Ford is at 27.31% compared to Reagan at 113.52% a difference of -86.21%. On the NASDAQ, Ford is at 38.06% compared to Reagan at 94.02% a difference of -55.96%. Finally, on the DOW Jones, Ford is at 23.41% compared to Reagan at 130.60% a difference of -107.19%.
| Index Cumulative Performance | Gerald Ford | Ronald Reagan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 38.06% | 94.02% | Ford -55.96% |
| DOW | 23.41% | 130.60% | Ford -107.19% |
| S&P | 27.31% | 113.52% | Ford -86.21% |
| Index Annualized Performance | Gerald Ford | Ronald Reagan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | 14.06% | 8.63% | Ford +5.42% |
| DOW | 8.96% | 11.00% | Ford -2.04% |
| S&P | 10.35% | 9.94% | Ford +0.41% |
How does Ford compare to Reagan with respect to GDP Growth? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized GDP growth. Cumulatively Ford is at 7.82% compared to Reagan at 31.01% a difference of -23.19%
| GDP | Gerald Ford | Ronald Reagan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 7.82% | 31.01% | Ford -23.19% |
| Annualized | 3.18% | 3.45% | Ford -0.27% |
How does Ford compare to Reagan in non-farm payroll? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized jobs created. Cumulatively Ford is at 2.63% compared to Reagan at 17.72% a difference of -15.08%
| Indicator Cumulative Gain/Loss | Gerald Ford | Ronald Reagan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 2.63% | 17.72% | Ford -15.08% |
| Annualized | 1.09% | 2.07% | Ford -0.98% |
We capture the data as soon as it’s available to us – stock market data after daily market close, jobs data once a month and GDP data once a quarter. After verifying the raw data, we then calculate updated cumulative and annualized performance data for the current president (the data for previous presidents have been calculated and verified in advance).
Some metrics are measured daily (like stock market performance), monthly (like jobs growth) and quarterly (like GDP growth). We start measurement of performance for a president from the first full time period after their inauguration. For stock market performance, it is the first stock market day in office. For jobs growth, it’s either first full calendar month in office (so if you are inaugurated in the middle of January, the first full month is February). This ensures a consistent starting point across all presidencies.
Also, read these articles in our Learning Center:
- What is the difference between cumulative and annualized performance?
- What’s the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
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