Stocks have brushed aside September’s dark reputation this year. Since late August, the S&P 500 has gained more than 3%, the Nasdaq over 5%, and the Dow and Russell 2000 have also pushed higher, defying the calendar’s most notorious slump . Meanwhile, gold has surged 11% , and the VIX — a measure of market volatility — has crept up instead of collapsing . At the same time, the dollar has barely budged. It's an unusual mix of signals. The overall picture is of a market that's stayed high despite seasonal h ...