Strong Economic Fundamentals Drives Shares to New Highs
October has a ghoulish reputation. Maybe it’s the October 1929 market crash or the one-day decline in October 1987 that exceeded 20%. Using data from the St. Louis Federal Reserve that goes back nearly 50 years, September has historically been the worst month for stocks. Despite what historically is a challenging quarter from a seasonality perspective, a strong macroeconomic backdrop triggered robust growth within US equities. The Dow Jones Industrials, which is made up of 30 large companies, topped its January 26th high late last month. The S&P 500 Index, which is comprised of 500 large companies, pushed past its prior peak in August, added to its advance in September, and registered its best quarter since 2013 (CNBC)….READ MORE
