Q2 was one for the record books

• 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.