S&P 500 Falls to Start Month Known for Turbulence, Turnarounds

  • October has been strongest month of returns in past 25 years
  • But beware of a “key low,” Instinet’s Cappelleri says

Peter Borish Talks Investing in Complacent Markets

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The U.S. stock market may be headed for some turbulence, and possibly a fresh record.

October’s delivered the most swings of at least 1 percent for the S&P 500 Index since 2000, giving investors reason for caution following a summer of muted volatility. If history’s any guide, though, the benchmark for American equity will post an outsize gain in a period that’s been the best over the last 25 years, with an average advance of 1.9 percent. The S&P 500 slipped 0.5 percent to 2,150.49 at 4 p.m. in New York, 1.8 percent below its all-time high from Aug. 15.