...and traders are back at their desks. The S&P 500 closed higher by 0.6% in August to mark its fifth consecutive monthly gain. The Dow has also gained five months in a row, while the Nasdaq has been higher nine of the past 10 months. On a total return basis, including dividends, the S&P 500 gained for the tenth consecutive month. That is the longest streak since 10 in a row in 1995. (LPL Research)

Apple is getting closer to the $1 trillion valuation mark. Shares of the iPhone maker hit another all-time high last week. At about $163, they are just $30 a share away from making Apple the first U.S. company to cross the $1 trillion threshold in terms of market capitalization. (CNBC)

Costco saw a 6.1% increase in U.S. same-store sales, excluding gasoline, for August, topping the 3.7% percent consensus estimate. (Reuters)

A sign of the digital age. As the human attention span shortens, so do the efforts to capture it. For NFL games on FOX this season, the network will debut six-second commercials. They'll be used along with the more traditional 15-second and 30-second spots. (NBC Sports)

With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor I am Troy Reinhart.