Markets:
DJIA --486.27-1.62%
NASDAQ --198.88-1.80%
S&P --64.76-1.72%
Featured Stocks:
LIT -3.53% 69.13
DOUG -1.19% 4.14
RIG -7.45% 2.36

Santa Claus Rally

Article Index

Santa Claus Rally 2014 Is Not the Real Reason Stocks Will Rise

By , Associate Editor, Money Morning • @KyleAndersonMM -

last five santa claus rallies

The term "Santa Claus Rally" refers to a seasonal bump in stock prices over the last week of the year - specifically, the last five trading days of December, and the first two of January. This year it falls from Dec. 24 to Jan. 5.

The Dow has seen a Santa Claus Rally more than 77% of the time since 1896. Over that 117-year span, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained an average of 1.7% during that week.

Will we see another seasonal rally this year? Our experts say yes, but not for the reason you might expect...

Miracle on Wall Street: Will a "Santa Claus Rally" Bring Christmas Cheer to Investors?

By , Managing Editor, Money Morning -

Seasonal market indicators are often spotty, but the so-called "Santa Claus rally" has some solid statistical backing.

The Santa Claus rally lacks a concrete definition, but the gist of the theory is that stocks perform well in December – particularly in the period between Christmas and the first days of the New Year.

Indeed, December traditionally has been the best month for U.S. stocks. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index has posted positive returns in December 77% of the time since World War II, compared to 59% for all 12 months.

Read More…