Last updated: May 17th, 2024
This page has the comparisons between Kennedy vs Ford across all the metrics we track. President Kennedy and President Ford 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, John F. Kennedy has performed better on 2 out of the 5 metrics we track. President Kennedy's highest performance difference was on the indicator GDP performing 8.10% better than President Ford. President Kennedy's lowest performance difference was on NASDAQ Index performing -38.06% worse than President Ford.
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 Kennedy compare to Ford in the stock market? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized performance between Kennedy and Ford in the stock market. Cumulatively across the S&P 500, Kennedy is at 19.83% compared to Ford at 27.31% a difference of -7.49%. On the NASDAQ, Kennedy is at N/A compared to Ford at 38.06% a difference of N/A. Finally, on the DOW Jones, Kennedy is at 15.85% compared to Ford at 23.41% a difference of -7.56%.
| Index Cumulative Performance | John F. Kennedy | Gerald Ford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | N/A | 38.06% | N/A |
| DOW | 15.85% | 23.41% | Kennedy -7.56% |
| S&P | 19.83% | 27.31% | Kennedy -7.49% |
| Index Annualized Performance | John F. Kennedy | Gerald Ford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | N/A | 14.06% | N/A |
| DOW | 5.32% | 8.96% | Kennedy -3.64% |
| S&P | 6.58% | 10.35% | Kennedy -3.77% |
How does Kennedy compare to Ford with respect to GDP Growth? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized GDP growth. Cumulatively Kennedy is at 15.92% compared to Ford at 7.82% a difference of 8.10%
| GDP | John F. Kennedy | Gerald Ford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 15.92% | 7.82% | Kennedy +8.10% |
| Annualized | 5.63% | 3.18% | Kennedy +2.44% |
How does Kennedy compare to Ford in non-farm payroll? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized jobs created. Cumulatively Kennedy is at 6.65% compared to Ford at 2.63% a difference of 4.02%
| Indicator Cumulative Gain/Loss | John F. Kennedy | Gerald Ford | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 6.65% | 2.63% | Kennedy +4.02% |
| Annualized | 2.34% | 1.09% | Kennedy +1.25% |
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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