Stocks retreat on last day of quarter as investors pocket profits from big September

Stocks pull back as investors take profits

NEW YORK — Stocks are ending a monthlong rally on a weak note, but still chalked up the best September in 71 years.

The Dow Jones industrial average is up 8 percent for the month, making it the best September performance for the index since 1939.

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow fell 47, or 0.4 percent, to 10,788. The Dow had risen 113 in the opening minutes of trading on improved economic news before pulling back.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 4, or 0.3 percent, to 1,141, while the Nasdaq composite fell 8, or 0.3 percent, to 2,369.

Rising stocks narrowly outpaced falling ones on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 1.3 billion shares.