For investors, the real gift from Wall Street comes a day after Christmas

Core Insights - U.S. stocks are performing well ahead of the Christmas holiday, with the S&P 500 reaching a new intraday record during the Christmas Eve session [1][6] - Historically, December 26 has been the most consistently positive day for the S&P 500, with only six declines in 39 years, and the index has seen average gains of 0.5% and median gains of 0.4% on this day [3] Group 1 - The S&P 500 increased by 0.3% on Wednesday, while the Nasdaq rose by 0.2%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average led with a 0.6% increase [6] - The upcoming session on December 26 is part of the "Santa Claus rally" period, which has produced negative returns in the past two years, raising the stakes for this year's rally [5] Group 2 - Seasonal trends are noted to be consistent but should not be the sole reason for investment decisions in the equity market, according to Bespoke Investment Group [5]