The Final Stretch

It looks like the stock market got a shot of holiday cheer as major U.S. indexes logged better than 3% gains last week. The Dow is now up 6% for the year, and the S&P 500 is back in positive territory. While many were calling for a so-called "Santa Claus rally," others were concerned that fears surrounding Europe's situation would continue to be a drag on the markets.[1] Last week however, Europe's troubles were of little account as stocks rallied to their third weekly gain in four after Congress approved an extension of the payroll tax cut to ensure taxes won't increase on January 1.[2] In addition, tentative signs of improvement seen in government reports on personal spending, income, and housing, all helped boost equity markets last week.[3]

What's in store for the week ahead? With Wall Street closed for business on Monday, a number of major players on vacation, and few economic reports expected, trading volume will probably be light. Even so, there is something interesting we would like to share with you. According to the Stock Trader's Almanac, the five trading days before January 1, and the two trading days that follow, typically generate abnormally high returns, yielding positive returns in 31 of the last 41 holiday seasons.[4] Of course, past performance cannot be relied upon to predict future results, and other factors must be considered, but the trend is worth noting.

While many investors have already closed their books for the year, we head into the final stretch eager to end 2011 in the black. Regardless of what happens during the final four trading days of the year though, we encourage you to take comfort in knowing that we will keep an eye on things for you. Again we urge you to relax and enjoy some well-deserved time with your family and friends.

[1] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-stocks-look-to-keep-holiday-rise-alive-2011-12-24

[2] http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/23/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm?iid=HP_LN

[3] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-23/u-s-november-personal-income-and-spending-text-.html

[4] http://www.stocktradersalmanac.com/

These are the views of Platinum Advisor Marketing Strategies, LLC, and not necessarily those of the named representative or named Broker dealer, and should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named representative nor the named Broker dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your financial advisor for further information.