Despite the government shutdown, the nascent debate on the role of the Federal Reserve and even the introductory troubles of Obamacare, the stock market keeps moving higher. The S&P500 added 4.12 percent last month, following September’s 3.35 percent. Thus, focusing on July’s 5.7 percent, and putting aside August’s mere .96 percent, prices continue their record advance.
This strength may be surprising in face of the modest changes of the past few days, but our diagram reveals that such smaller changes dominate the last days of the past two months, as well as at the end of July.
Today’s diagram presents meaningful insights into the market’s profile; it presents the chronology of each day’s trading in 2013. Among its many revelations, is the stability dominating July’s trading. That month’s near six percent advance results from a steady flow of modest gains as well as suffering only six losing days.
It becomes apparent also that August’s modest result comes from 13 negative days -the most of any month this year- many of which experienced significant declines.
DJIA .45 percent
NASDAQ .06 percent
S&P500 .29 percent
