Sergii Gnatiuk / iStock via Getty Images Christmas bonuses, presents under the tree, family sitting together and relaxing. These are the things most families take for granted on Christmas. Quick Read The Santa Claus rally covers the last five trading days of the year through the first two weeks of January. This pattern has occurred roughly 80% of the time since 1950. Holiday bonuses and reduced tax selling typically drive buying pressure during this three-week window. If you’re thinking about ret ...

Market Trends and Outlook - The market is currently in an uptrend, led by procyclical sectors such as industrial commodities and banks, with expectations for new highs in equity markets as earnings and GDP estimates are revised higher [1][2] - There are signs of complacency in the market, indicated by a declining VIX, suggesting potential volatility despite the positive earnings outlook [3] Investor Positioning - Institutional positioning is slightly overweight at the 62nd percentile, while discretionary investors remain neutral, indicating potential for increased market participation [4] - Households are fully invested, with margin loans growing at approximately 40% over the last six months, contributing to rapid buying during market dips [5] Cash Reserves and Market Dynamics - There is an estimated $70 trillion in market funds waiting to be deployed, suggesting that while retail investors are fully invested, there remains potential for further market inflows [6] - Money market rates falling could incentivize investors to seek alternative investments, although not all cash reserves are likely to flow directly into equities [7][8] Technical Factors and Year-End Positioning - Current market movements may be influenced by technical factors rather than fundamental earnings growth, especially given the light trading volume typical at year-end [9][10] - Leadership rotations in the market began earlier this year, with value outperforming growth by 5% since November 1, indicating a shift in investor sentiment [10] Commodities as an Investment - Commodities are viewed as a hedge against inflation, with a strong uptrend observed; however, there are concerns about overbought conditions and potential consolidation in the market [11][12] - Central bank buying of gold and increased retail trading activity suggest continued interest in commodities, although the market may face challenges due to overvaluation [12][13]

U.S. stock markets are poised for a quiet, holiday-shortened trading session today, Wednesday, December 24, 2025, as investors prepare for the Christmas holiday. Major indexes closed higher on Tuesday, extending a four-day winning streak, with the S&P 500 reaching another all-time closing high. However, premarket activity suggests a muted start, with futures largely flat amidst anticipated thin trading volumes.Premarket Trading Activity and Futures MovementsAs Wall Street gears up for an early 1:00 p.m. ET ...

Key Takeaways AI overvaluation and correction fears are making investors cautious about a traditional Santa Rally.Sticky inflation lowers odds of faster rate cuts in 2026, limiting risk appetite into year-end.Low P/E momentum ETFs like XMVM, XSVM, PYZ, and VAMO balance value with short-term upside.As the year wraps up, investors started debating whether the much-talked-about Santa Claus Rally will materialize. Historically, equities tend to perform well during the final trading days of December and the earl ...

BREAKING: Futures Steady Heading Into Half-Day Holiday Session Today's Spotlight IBD's 12 Days of Holiday Deals (© Chris Gash) Next Data Center Roadblock For Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Meta Is On Main Street Partner Center Nike (NKE) stock advanced before the beginning of Wednesday's abridged stock market after regulatory filings showed Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook purchased roughly $3 million worth of Nike shares. Cook, who currently serves as lead independent director and chair of the Nike board's compensati ...

Company Developments - Snowflake is in talks to acquire startup Observe for approximately $1 billion, which would enhance its position in the artificial intelligence market [5] - Snowflake's stock has increased by 46% in 2025, despite experiencing a significant pullback since early November [5] - The acquisition of Observe would place Snowflake in competition with companies like Datadog, Dynatrace, and Cisco Systems [5] Market Trends - Rival Databricks has raised new funds, achieving a valuation of $134 billion, which positively impacted Snowflake's stock performance [6] - Snowflake's stock faced challenges due to an underwhelming outlook, despite receiving a composite rating upgrade [8] - The stock market is showing signs of recovery, with Snowflake, Acuity Brands, and TSMC being focal points for investors [10]

Listen on the go! A daily podcast of Wall Street Breakfast will be available by 8:00 a.m. on Seeking Alpha, iTunes, Spotify.Getty Images Best wishes to all of our Wall Street Breakfast readership as we go into the holiday season. WSB won't be published with markets closed tomorrow, but tune back in on Friday.Also, a reminder... The WSB poll on the "Outlook For 2026" is still open. Take the survey here if you haven't already, and see the current results. Latest in trending news on Seeking Alpha:Targeted r ...

Group 1 - The stock market is experiencing modest gains, with the S&P 500 setting a record close just below a new intraday high, driven by strong GDP data [5] - Nvidia, Amazon, and Alphabet are among the key stocks contributing to the S&P 500's performance [5] - There is a focus on Nvidia's stock amid news regarding China chip shipments, indicating potential volatility and investment interest [10] Group 2 - Google is set to acquire clean energy firm Intersect for $4.75 billion, highlighting the company's strategic move towards sustainability [10] - The market is observing a trend where mutual funds may extend their bull run into 2026, with GE Aerospace leading a list of hot stocks [8] - There is a growing interest in quantum computing stocks, with Wall Street's recent discovery raising questions about the sustainability of this trend [7]

Meanwhile, the much-anticipated Santa Claus Rally period officially kicks off today. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has delivered an average return of 1.3%, posting gains 78% of the time, according to Adam Turnquist at LPL Financial.“The strongest pace of economic growth in two years is bolstering confidence that corporate earnings will continue to expand robustly in 2026,” said Jose Torres at Interactive Brokers. At the same time, U.S. money markets continue to price in at least two Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2 ...

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures declined on Wednesday following a higher close on Tuesday, with major benchmark indices showing a decrease [1] - The S&P 500 index reached a new closing record, driven by a 4.3% annualized GDP growth in Q3, exceeding estimates of 3.3% [2] - The 10-year Treasury bond yield was at 4.16%, while the two-year bond yield stood at 3.53%, with an 86.7% probability of the Federal Reserve maintaining current interest rates [2] Futures Performance - Dow Jones futures decreased by 0.07%, S&P 500 futures fell by 0.06%, Nasdaq 100 futures dropped by 0.05%, and Russell 2000 futures declined by 0.10% [3] - The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.042% at $687.67, and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) declined 0.0024% to $621.96 in premarket trading [3] Stocks in Focus - UiPath Inc. shares increased by 7.14% after being added to the S&P Midcap 400 [6] - Citius Pharmaceuticals Inc. saw an 8.65% rise after reporting a quarterly loss of 11 cents per share, significantly better than the expected loss of 43 cents [6] - Ramaco Resources Inc. gained 8.05% following the announcement of a $100 million stock repurchase plan [6] - AST SpaceMobile Inc. shares rose by 2.89% after launching BlueBird 6 satellites [5] Sector Performance - Communication services, information technology, and energy sectors experienced the largest gains on Tuesday, while consumer staples and healthcare sectors closed lower [9] Analyst Insights - Chief Market Strategist Ryan Detrick encourages optimism among investors despite historical data suggesting that a failed "Santa Claus Rally" could indicate future challenges [11] - Detrick highlights that negative returns during the holiday trading period often precede a difficult first quarter, referencing a previous year where a -0.5% dip led to a 4.6% decline in Q1 [12]