The S&P 500 has just finished its best November of all times

The main averages closed lower that day, but hit historic levels for November, fueled by excitement for vaccines, which are accelerating the economic recovery. The S&P 500 (SP500) held -0.5%, making it the best November in its history. The S&P rose 10.9% that month, beating the previous record, up 10.2% recorded in November 1980. The Dow Jones (DJI) -0.9% was the biggest beneficiary of the upswing and had its best month since 1987. It gained 11.9%. The Nasdaq (COMP) -0.1% posted its best November since 2001. It gained 11.8%, compared to a 14.2% increase in the heart of the dot-com boom era. Today's trading has been weak as the month-end money managers rebalanced as some of the rebounding trades outperformed. Airlines, cruise lines, department stores and energy stocks all saw major setbacks for the session. The energy sector (NYSEARCA: XLE) was by far the best monthly value in the sectors, gaining more than 30%, although its impact on the broad index is small compared to the houses of the megacaps. Financials (NYSEARCA: XLF) and industrials (NYSEARCA: XLI) followed. Defensive sectors lagged in November with only utilities (NYSEARCA: XLU) in the red. However, with a lot of money flowing into the cyclical sectors, the megacap winners showed resilience that contributed to the broad monthly gains. That Tesla was tapped for the S&P helped it gain 38%. Amazon was the weakest but only lost 3%. Crude Oil Futures -1% rose 26% to over $ 45 / barrel in November. Spot gold -0.7% ended the month down 5.4% and down 9% from the first vaccine effectiveness figures.