Stocks are mixed but had best month since July '09

[July 31, 2010]  (AP) -- WHAT A MONTH: The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's had their best month since July 2009 and their first winning month since this past April. Strong earnings were behind the big gains.

BUT THE FUTURE'S UNCERTAIN: Trading at the end of July, including Friday's narrowly mixed finish, showed that investors are cautious because of economic numbers that point to a slowing recovery.

THE NUMBERS: The Dow rose 7.1 percent for July, while the S&P 500 gained 6.9 percent.

[Associated Press]

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