September, October, and November
Since 1926, large company stocks (S&P 500) have gone up an average of 0.9% per month. In September, these same stocks have lost an average of 0.8%. Large cap stocks have risen in just 50% of every September since 1926, far below the average of 62% for all months. The table below shows how three broad categories of U.S. stocks have fared since 1926 (source: Bank of America Merrill Lynch).
Average Monthly Returns for U.S. Stocks [1926–2011]
|
|
Sept. |
Oct. |
Nov. |
|
Large Cap |
-0.8% |
0.5% |
1.4% |
|
Mid Cap |
0.8% |
0.0% |
1.8% |
|
Small Cap |
-0.5% |
-0.5% |
1.6% |