Monday, stocks in Asia closed nearly unchanged, but in Europe the shot up 1.1% and in the U.S., they rose 0.5% on extremely low volume. The S&P 500 Index broke though the 2000 level but could not hold it to the close. Still, it set another record. Tuesday, stocks in Asia fell slightly, but rose in Europe 0.4% and just slightly in the U.S. as volume withered even further. The slight rise was enough to bump the S&P 500 Index to a close at 2000.02. That the first close above the 2000 level.
Wednesday, stocks in Asia, Europe, and the U.S. changed little on extremely low volume. With a ten-cent gain the S&P 500 Index set another closing record high while fear actually rose about 5% to end at 10.89. Thursday, stocks fell slightly in Asia, 0.6% in Europe, and 0.3% in the U.S. on another very dismal volume day almost as bad as Tuesday. As a result, the S&P 500 Index fell a few points below the magic 2000 level. Friday, in Asia stocks fell 0.3%, but in Europe and the U.S. they rose the same amount on low volume. This bumped the S&P 500 Index back above the 2000 level to post another record and leave it there for the long Labor Day weekend.