The Nasdaq Composite continued its stellar run to record levels on Monday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average once again pulled back as it approached its December high.
The tech-heavy index rose 0.3%, building on last week’s closing highs. It’s risen in 21 of the past 25 trading days, which is the most daily gains in a 25-day period for the index since July 10, 2020, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
The Nasdaq hit its 14th record close of July, marking the most in a single month for the index since it hit 16 in December 1999.
The S&P 500 rose very slightly to build on last week’s closing high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 64 points, or 0.1%.
After President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with the European Union that will bring tariffs to 15%, Wall Street piled into artificial intelligence and risk stocks. The vast majority of S&P 500 stocks actually fell.
Investors will face a massive week of earnings and economic data in the days ahead, including reports from four of the so-called Magnificent Seven. The Federal Open Market Committee will also meet Tuesday and Wednesday, though officials are widely expected to keep rates steady until September. Hints of a September cut could give markets a boost.
The stock market is entering a historically bad stretch from a position of strength.
“Most investors are aware that August-September has historically been one of the weaker periods of the calendar for equities,” writes Bespoke Investment Group co-founder Justin Walters. “September in particular has been the worst month of the year for stocks.”
Walters notes that the S&P is mirroring 2023 and 2024.
“While the market went in opposite directions during the August to September stretch in 2023 and 2024, a longer-term look provides some better insights,” he writes, pointing to data that goes back to 1952.
“What you’ll see is that while performance has not been great from August to September under any scenario, the market usually holds up better when it has already been doing well heading into August,” he writes.