Average Market Performance to End The Month

With just two days left in August, the market is currently riding a strong rally with gains in five out of the last six trading days.  So how does the S&P 500 typically trade to end the month?  In the chart below, we highlight the S&P 500's average return in the last two trading days of each month since 2000.  As shown, the last two days of October have seen the best returns with an average gain of 0.87% in the last two trading days.  October is followed by May, when the S&P 500 averages a gain of 0.54%.  Since 2000, the worst month-ends for the S&P 500 have typically come in February, when the S&P 500 averages a decline of 0.62%.  So where does August stack up?  Since 2000, the last two trading days of August have seen an average change of -0.11%, putting the month in the middle of the pack towards the low end (fifth worst).  It seems that even the market is sad to see Summer wind down.

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