5 Leveraged ETF Winners of December

Market Performance - The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7% in December, marking its eighth consecutive winning month, the longest streak since 2018 [1] - The S&P 500 slipped about 0.06% for the month, while the Nasdaq Composite finished down about 1% [1] - The final five trading sessions of December were downbeat, with the Nasdaq losing 1.6%, the S&P 500 retreating 1.3%, and the Dow Jones falling 1.4% [2] Seasonal Trends - Historically, stocks tend to rise during the final five trading days of the year and the first two sessions of the new year, a pattern now under threat [3] S&P 500 Performance - The S&P 500 rallied 24% in 2023, 23% in 2024, and 16% in 2025, resulting in an almost 80% gain over three years, marking the strongest return over a three-year win streak since 2019-2021 [4] - The S&P 500 has not posted four consecutive annual gains since the five-year run from 2003 to 2007 [5] Economic Indicators - The Federal Reserve has issued hawkish guidance for 2026, with a cooling U.S. labor market and persistent inflation [5] - Developed-market central banks are unlikely to cut rates at the beginning of 2026 [5] Sector Highlights - Overvaluation and payoff concerns are prevalent in the artificial intelligence sector, which has driven the market over the past three years [6] Notable ETFs and Stocks - Defiance Daily Target 2X Long RKLB ETF (RKLX) rose 115.4%, with Rocket Lab Corp (RKLB) gaining about 73% in December due to increased investor interest in the space economy [7] - ProShares Ultra Silver (AGQ) increased by 44.5%, driven by strong industrial demand and tight supply dynamics [8] - AST SpaceMobile Inc (ASTS) stock gained 27.7% in December, benefiting from the space investing boom [11] - Micron Technology Inc (MU) stock rose 19.2% after reporting better-than-expected fiscal results [12] - Coinbase Global Inc (COIN) shares fell 14.1% due to increased regulatory scrutiny and skepticism towards stablecoin revenue [13] Currency Impact - The U.S. dollar slumped about 4.2% in December, which is favorable for commodity prices as they are priced in U.S. dollars [10]