The Benner Cycle: A Curious Framework for Market Prediction

Samuel Benner's market cycle theory still fascinates us in 2025 🔮. Kind of surprising, really. This American farmer wasn't even a professional economist. Yet his predictive framework endures.

Benner lost money. Bad economic times crushed him financially. So he got obsessed with market patterns. His 1875 book "Benner's Prophecies of Future Ups and Downs in Prices" mapped out these recurring market waves.

The cycle has three phases:

1. "A" Years - Panic Years 📉: Economic crashes happening roughly every 18-20 years. Years like 1927, 1945, 1965, 1981, 1999, 2019... and looking ahead to 2035 and 2053.

2. "B" Years - Selling Opportunities 💰: Market peaks. Times to sell. These include 1926, 1945, 1962, 1980, 2007... and it seems 2026 might be next.

3. "C" Years - Buying Opportunities 🛒: Market bottoms. Grab assets when they're cheap! Years like 1931, 1942, 1958, 1985, and 2012 fit this pattern.

For us in 2025, Benner's work suggests we're nearing a top. The market feels optimistic. Maybe too optimistic? 2026 looms as a selling year.

Crypto traders might want to pay attention. Bitcoin's halving cycle shows similar boom-bust patterns. The psychology tracks. If 2026 is truly a "B" year, crypto holders might consider planning exit strategies 🚀.

Weird thing is, Benner studied farm commodities. Not crypto. Not even stocks really. Yet the patterns transfer. Human emotions don't change much across centuries.

His 16-18-20 year prosperity cycle isn't perfectly clear. Still gives guidance though. Markets seem more volatile lately, making these cyclical patterns worth studying.

In 2025's financial landscape, Benner reminds us markets aren't random. They follow patterns. They're tied to how we behave. For traders hunting both lows and highs, this old framework—150 years old!—still offers wisdom. Timing still matters 🔥.