Santa Claus rally is on Wall Street's wish list. Why it matters.
Gains in the last five trading days of December and the first two trading days of January mark a Santa Claus rally, a bullish signal for the market (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) in the new year. The Stock Trader's Almanac editor-in-chief Jeffrey Hirsch joins Brad Smith and Josh Lipton on Catalysts to discuss what a Santa Claus rally, or the absence of one, means for 2025 market outlooks. "It's an important time of the year for us to take a check on the market. It's not necessarily a trading rally. It's really an indicator," Hirsch says, adding that his father Yale Hirsch coined the phrase, "If Santa Claus should fail to call, Bears may come to Broad and Wall." If there isn't a Santa Claus rally, Hirsch says historically, it could signal a bear market, market weakness, or a flat market. Watch the video above for more on Hirsch's 2025 market outlook. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.