Stocks were volatile in May, likely a reflection of strength in the U.S. economy as well as concerns about inflation and the timing of when the Federal Reserve might begin to taper its accommodative policies.
Stocks climbed higher in April on the heels of strong first-quarter corporate earnings reports and encouraging employment data.
February began on a high note as investors drew encouragement from strong fourth-quarter earnings reports and encouraging employment data.
Stocks were able to weather the storm of events that occurred throughout January, despite investors having numerous reasons to move away from equities.
Despite a downturn on the last day of the month, stocks rebounded impressively in November from a moribund performance in October. Several of the benchmark indexes reached record highs during November as investors shifted slightly from tech stocks to shares influenced by economic cycles.