If you are asking yourself: "Is now a good time to buy for the...

If you are asking yourself: "Is now a good time to buy for the long term, say 10 years?". . .

According to the chart below (based on the PE ratio) the short answer is "NO".

This chart covers 84 years of data. Each dot represents a 10y buy and hold order of the S&P500, taken for each month

To read the chart, goto the bottom axis (which represents the PE ratio of the S&P500 - currently around 27). Then draw a vertical line up to where it cuts the dotted regression line. Them draw a horizontal line to the left axis to read the percent gain p.a.

As you can see, when the PE ratio is high, like it is now (April 2024), the expected 10y return is zero percent.