Russell 2000's longest win streak since February 1996 extends to 14 sessions

The Russell 2000 Index climbed 0.6% Wednesday to extend its win streak to a 14 sessions, the longest in over 20 years. The small-capitalization company tracker has soared 16% since the streak began, compared with the Dow Jones Industrial Average's gain of 6.4% over the same time. The Russell 2000's current win streak is the longest since the 15-session stretch ending Feb. 6, 1996. Back then, the index gained only 6.1% during it's streak. The Russell 2000 has now closed at a record high for the eighth-straight session, while the Dow's record run is at three days. Chart watchers view leadership by the small-cap stocks as encouraging, as it suggests investors' appetite for risk has increased. The average market cap for the Russell 2000 members is $1.82 billion, according to FTSE Russell, while the average market cap for Dow components is more than 100 times that at $183.98 billion, according to an analysis of FactSet data.

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