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August
Brian Trumbore
President/Editor, StocksandNews.com

August can be a most volatile month, not exactly the "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer," in other words. Below I list the monthly percentage changes for the S&P 500, as well as the overall total return for each year (including dividends). Of note are the big declines in August of 1997 and 1998, years that nonetheless proved to be very positive. The reason? The twin Asian/Russian currency crises and the implosion of Long-Term Capital.

Even mild gains or losses, such as in Aug. 2007, masks wild intraday swings. Recall, last year the mortgage crisis was beginning to bite.

7/31/07?1455 [S&P 500]
8/31/07?1473? +1.2%...2007? +5.5%

7/31/06?1276
8/31/06?1303? +2.1%...2006? +15.8%

7/29/05?1234
8/31/05?1220? -1.1%...2005? +4.9%

7/30/04?1101
8/31/04?1104? +0.2%...2004? +10.9%

7/31/03?990
8/29/03?1008? +1.8%...2003? +28.7%

7/31/02?911
8/30/02?916? +0.5%...2002? -22.1%

7/31/01?1211
8/31/01?1133? -6.4%...2001? -11.9%

7/31/00?1430
8/31/00?1517? +6.1%...2000? -9.1%

7/30/99?1328
8/31/99?1320? -0.6%...1999? +21.0%

7/31/98?1120
8/31/98?957? -14.6%...1998? +28.6%

7/31/97?954
8/29/97?899? -5.7%...1997? +33.4%

Sources:

StocksandNews database; "Stock Trader's Almanac"

Next week a look at crowd behavior.

Brian Trumbore

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