Stocks Close Mostly Even

March 4, 2008

While there were large intra day movements, the indices finished almost unchanged for the second day in a row. The S&P500 gave up -.35 percent and the DJIA fell for the fourth successive day, losing another -.37 percent. Yet the NASDAQ closed higher, by a meager -.07 percent.

The DJIA has experienced such four straight losses 49 times since January 2000, with a median daily decline of -.50 percent. But last week, previous to these four negative days, the index scored four straight advances! Such a pattern –four successive down days after four successive up days – was last seen on January 2 of this year. And there are just three prior occasions in this century.

In the past, the DJIA declined a fifth day 21 times, with a median loss of - 1.06 percent; while there are 28 occasions when the next day turned up, improving by a median of .44 percent

In closing, note that on Monday the S&P500 closed higher

ile the other two indices declined. Today it was the NASDAQ’s turn to move higher while the DJIA and the S&P500 declined. Such a NASDAQ contrary move happened last on February 8; and 122 other times, with a median uptick of .28 percent, since January 2000.

DJIA -.37 percent
NASDAQ .07 percent
S&P500 -.35 percent

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