Stocks Kick Off the Week With Losses; Oil Tops $80: Markets Wrap

In fact, December marks the second-best month for the Russell 2000 since 1979. Although small caps, measured by the Russell 2000, tend to soften in US midterm election years in December, the index has lost ground just three times in 10 of those years since 1982, with an average small-cap gain of 0.3%.