Oct. 1--The Trib 30 index of Pittsburgh-area stocks jumped 5.4 percent to 239.7 in September, a historically down month for the market, with local gainers swamping losers.

It was the index's highest monthly close since May 2008, when the Trib 30 reached 244.8.

All but four stocks -- including two bank issues -- increased in value at the close of trading for September yesterday, compared with the end of August.

The Trib 30 is an equal-weighted index of stocks of companies located or dominant in Western Pennsylvania. An investor who divided $100,000 equally among the 30 stocks on Dec. 31, 1999, had a portfolio worth $239,700 at the end of trading yesterday.

Wall Street stock indices normally lose ground in September, according to the Stock Trader's Almanac, which has tracked trading patterns since the mid-1960s.

But the Trib 30 bucked that trend. The index's 5.4 percent increase last month beat the Dow Jones industrial average. The Dow rose only 2.3 percent for September, closing at 9,712 yesterday.

Despite broad gains, only one stock hit a new, 52-week high last month. Generic drug maker Mylan, of Canonsburg, reached $16.47 in September, the drug maker's second high mark in as many months. Standard & Poor's raised its ratings on Mylan last week and termed its outlook as "stable."

On the other end, First Commonwealth Financial fell to a new low of $5.20 during the month. The bank, based in Indiana, Pa., has posted no market-moving news in the past four weeks.

The only stocks to post month-over-month declines were bank stocks Bank of New York Mellon and First Commonwealth, manufacturing stock Thermo Fisher Scientific and telecom Verizon Communications.

Thomas Olson can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7854.

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