Sydnee Gatewood Wed, September 25, 2024 at 4:23 PM EDT 2 min read In This Article: U.S. stocks were higher in August, with the S&P 500 recording its fourth consecutive monthly gain. The month started on a choppy note, with a sharp selloff driven by economic growth fears after a weaker-than-expected July payrolls report raised concerns that the Fed may have been too slow to cut interest rates. Easing wage gains could give the Fed confidence that inflation is normalizing.