All you may need to know about September is this: it was the best September for the stock market since all the way back in 1939. The surge this month put all major indexes above their long-term trend lines and turned them positive for the year to date.
For the month, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 7.8%; for the quarter, it rose 10.8%. The S&P 500 gained 8.8% for the month and 11.1% for the quarter. The Nasdaq added 12% in September and 12.7% for the third quarter.
One of the biggest stories this month was gold: the price of the precious metal surged to record highs amid safe-haven seeking, currency hedging and general momentum.
The other big story was the declaration of the end of the recession, though it may not feel like it for millions of Americans still out of work. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank would consider quantitative easing to jump-start economic growth.
Click here to view our full September ETF performance report.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.