The following chart plots the average performance of the FTSE 100 Index during March since 1984 (more info on this type of chart).
The chart shows that on average the UK market climbs for the first three weeks of the month and then falls back towards the end of the month.
February 2013
The average chart for February was posted a month ago here. The following reproduces that chart and overlays the actual FTSE 100 for February 2013.
Despite the excitement of the UK losing its AAA rating and the Italian election, the month was pretty average from a historic viewpoint. The index reached the month’s high on the 14th trading day of the month (historically the high has been reached on the 12th trading day), and then came off slightly to end up 1.3% on the month (historically the index has risen 1.2% in February.)