Stocks gain in September | Volatile October ahead? | ‘Inequality tax’ plan

October has historically been the most volatile month as Wall Street's so-called fear index tends to peak.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE MON, SEP 30, 2019 EVENING BRIEF AS OF MON, SEP 30, 2019 • 04:00 ET DJIA 26920.96 +0.38% +100.71 S&P 500 2976.69 +0.50% +14.90 NASDAQ 7999.34 +0.75% +59.71   Most Active DOW NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 223.97 +5.15 +2.35% MSFT 139.03 +1.30 +0.94% CSCO 49.41 +0.57 +1.17% S&P 500 NAME LAST CHG %CHG AMD 28.99 +0.27 +0.94% BAC 29.17 -0.18 -0.61% MU 42.87 -0.34 -0.79% NASDAQ NAME LAST CHG %CHG AMD 28.99 +0.27 +0.94% MU 42.87 -0.34 -0.79% AAPL 223.97 +5.15 +2.35% EDITOR'S NOTE Stocks eked out a gain in September despite a storm of escalated trade headlines and impeachment fears throughout the month. But if history is any indication, October could be a different story.   The upcoming month has historically been the most volatile as Wall Street's so-called fear index,  the Cboe Volatility Index, tends to peak in October. The VIX, as it's also called, is known to jump more than 21 points on average in the month over the past three decades, according to Macro Risk Advisors. In that time frame, more than 190 S&P 500 companies have seen a daily move of more than 1% in October — the most of any given month, Macro Risk Advisors said.   The market's surprising resilience in September — typically the worst month for stocks — could also signal the rally is about to lose steam, CNBC's Yun Li writes.  As Ryan Detrick, senior market strategist at LPL Financial, tells Li, "we've been spoiled" by the lack of volatility this month and that increases the chances of "a little more explosive" October. "One thing we know is the markets don't stay calm forever and we've seen that multiple times this year," he says.    There have been plenty of catalysts lately to cause whiplash in the markets: trade talks, fears around third-quarter earnings reports and President Donald Trump's impeachment saga. The trade tensions are likely to remain a key investor concern unless we get a peaceful resolution when both sides meet Oct. 10  in Washington.  Kate Rooney | CNBC Markets Reporter @Kr00ney TOP NEWS  Dow rises as Wall Street ends tumultuous third quarter Wall Street is not buying into a resurgence for value stocks just yet McConnell dismisses idea of delisting Chinese companies in the US Who pays the most under Bernie Sanders' 'inequality tax' plan Amazon is in talks to bring its cashierless Go technology to airports and movie theaters GOP Rep. Chris Collins submits resignation ahead of plea change in insider trading case Peter Navarro: Reports that US would restrict Chinese companies are 'fake news' McConnell: 'I would have no choice but to take it up' if House votes to impeach Trump Kyle Bass says investments in Chinese firms are not safe: 'Imagine what kind of fraud is behind these companies' Alphabet taps former FDA commissioner to oversee health strategy and policy     TOP VIDEO Watch CNBC's full interview with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell   SPECIAL REPORTS Brokerages losing advantages as IPOs slip, funding markets clog and commissions evaporate One FANG stock could rally another 40% before it gets overvalued, trader says   Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2019 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS