Although the Santa Claus rally the markets expected ended before ever starting, the "Big Three" still ended 2025 with a bang: The NASDAQ finished up roughly 20%, the S&P 500 gained about 16%, while the Dow Jones lagged at 13% but finished the year strong — exactly what seasonal traders expected.That late-year strength in the Dow didn't surprise me at all. Seasonally, it was set up to be the caboose early, and the finisher late. And that's exactly what happened.So, what does that tell us about the road into ...

It's that time of year again. Wall Street is lining up, crunching data, and offering up its best guesses for what the stock market has in store for investors in the year ahead. As I can attest from over 27 years of experience navigating the stock market through more than my share of good and bad times, most of those forecasts will be wrong, some wildly so. Still, they can help investors understand sentiment, and some analysts were pretty close to the mark with their S&P 500 targets for 2025. S&P 500 ret ...

Market Outlook - The market is expected to continue its upward momentum in the coming weeks, with the S&P potentially reaching around 7,200 [2] - However, there are expectations of a significant correction next year, possibly around 15%, or even a bear market [3][10] - The current market trends show strong performance, with the S&P maintaining higher highs and higher lows above the 50-day moving average [5] Presidential Cycle Impact - The second year of the presidential cycle typically yields below-average returns, averaging around 3-4% gains, and is often associated with market corrections [7][10] - The upcoming midterm elections and related uncertainties are anticipated to create volatility in the market [6][11] Technology Sector Challenges - The technology sector may face headwinds next year, diverging from the previous trend where all sectors rose together [9] - The uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve's policies is expected to persist until at least April or May, contributing to market challenges [10] Precious Metals Outlook - Precious metals, particularly gold and silver, are in a generational bull market, having bottomed in 2020, with expectations for continued upward movement [12] - Silver is projected to trade between 80 to 85 before experiencing a significant pullback, while gold is expected to reach at least 5,000, with potential for an extension up to 7,000 [13][14]