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U.S. stock indexes closed out a record-breaking second quarter on Tuesday, with all three of the major indexes ending higher on the day and each finishing the quarter with their best performance in at least 20 years.
By the numbers: The benchmark S&P 500 ended Tuesday up 1.5% for its third positive close in four days.
- The index finished June up 1.8%, rising every month during the quarter. Its 20% gain for Q2 was the best quarterly performance since Q4 1998, when the index jumped 20.9%.
- Still the S&P is down 4% year to date.
The Dow ended Tuesday up 0.85%, or 217 points, for its third positive day in a row. It rose 1.7% for the month and rose every month during the quarter.
- The index closed the second quarter up 17.8% for its best quarter since Q1 1987, but is down 9.6% year to date.
The Nasdaq rose 1.9% on Tuesday, gaining 6% in June, which marked its third straight positive month.
- It gained 30.6% in the second quarter, its best since Q4 1999 when it jumped 48.2%.
- The index is up 12.1% year to date.