The stock market has started the holiday season with a significant surge, known as the Santa Claus Rally.
The Santa Claus Rally is a phenomenon that occurs during the final five trading days of the year and the first two trading days of the following year. It has a historical tendency for positive returns during this period. Ryan Detrick of Carson Group notes that the Santa Claus Rally actually spans seven trading days and historically yields gains, with the S&P 500 averaging a return of 1.29% during this time.
The recent trading session saw major contributions from tech stocks. Tesla led the way with a 7.4% gain, followed by Super Micro Computer and Broadcom.
MicroStrategy (MSTR) has announced plans to seek shareholder approval for a substantial increase in its Class A common stock to facilitate further Bitcoin acquisitions. This announcement coincided with a 7.8% rally in MSTR's stock price on Christmas Eve. MicroStrategy aims to raise $42 billion in Bitcoin purchases by 2026 and has filed a preliminary proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Analyst Gautam Chhugani from Bernstein is optimistic about MicroStrategy's future, expecting its inclusion in the S&P 500 by 2025.
The strategic moves by MicroStrategy come at a time when the cryptocurrency market is experiencing renewed interest, with anticipated regulatory changes and a crypto-friendly SEC chair under the Trump 2.0 administration.
The economic calendar remains light during the holiday trading period, but the upcoming earnings reporting season is expected to bring renewed focus to market dynamics and investor sentiment. The current market environment, with optimism surrounding tech stocks and the strategic maneuvers of companies like MicroStrategy, suggests a potentially vibrant start to the new year.