Only four months since 1950 has the S&P 500 fallen by at least 7% only to close higher on the month. That’s exactly what happened in October – a record month for major stock indices and options volume.
U.S. stocks rose, sending the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index higher for a seventh straight day, as diminishing concern over a military strike against Syria offset Apple Inc.’s biggest decline since May.
The volatility index rose sharply, snapping a six-day streak of losses, after the gauge of U.S. stock options prices reached the lowest level since 2007.
