Fake Placid? Dow Drops 50 Points, Finishes August in the Red

Stocks ended the month of August on a low note thanks to concerns about a potential rate hike but remained stuck in the doldrums with little damage done either way. The S&P 500 declined 0.1% in August after falling 0.2% to 2,170.95 today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2% this month after declining 53.42 points, or 0.3%, 18,400.88 today. The Nasdaq Composite gained 1% in August after dipping 0.2% to 5,213.22 today. The folks at Bespoke Investment Group note that the S&P 500 has gone 38 days now without a 1% move. They consider the implications: