The History of September Sell-Offs
A look at the record for the past 50 years finds a pattern of fourth-quarter rebounds. Will this tough year follow?
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By Sam Stovall
The 17.6% price decline for the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index during 2002's third quarter was one for the record books. It ranked as the second-worst third-quarter performance for this market benchmark in the past 50 years -- and among the five worst of any quarters during that period.