September is cruellest month, by Kathryn Cooper

“Stephen Eckett of the Stock Market Almanac said that company results were one of the reasons September was such a bad month for the market. “More than 400 final and interim announcements can be expected,” he said. ?It?s possible the poor performance of the market and the high results activity are not unrelated. Investors commonly reduce exposure and sell a stock over its reporting period, to avoid nasty surprises.” Most advisers therefore recommend remaining cautious, even if you believe directors are giving a buy signal. Make monthly payments rather than investing a lump sum, so if prices fall again, you get in cheaper.”