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market check
The market is currently running on eggnog and fumes. Volume is low because everyone on Wall Street has already mentally checked out for the holidays.
🟢 S&P 500: Flat (+0.05%). Basically asleep at the wheel.
🔴 Dow Jones: Down bad (-0.20%). Grinch energy today.
🟢 Nasdaq: Main character vibes (+0.30%). Big Tech is trying hard to save Christmas.
⚪ Bitcoin: $98,200. Still hovering right under that scary six-figure psychological barrier.
the main character:
🌎 the "Santa Claus Rally" myth
The Scoop: If you watch financial TV (don't recommend), you’re hearing a lot about the "Santa Claus Rally." Historically, stocks tend to drift higher during the last five trading days of the year and the first two of the new year.
The Vibe: Why does this happen? It’s not magic. It’s usually because the heavy hitter institutional investors are away on ski trips, leaving the market to retail traders (us) who are feeling optimistic on holiday vibes. Plus, people are investing end-of-year bonuses.
Our Hot Take: Don't FOMO into this. A rally built on low volume, when not many people are actually trading, is fragile. If you wouldn't buy the stock in October, don't buy it just because it's late December. Enjoy the green days, but keep your skepticism high.
tl;dr
China Gaming Crackdown: Tech giants Tencent and NetEase just got hammered (down 10%+) after China announced surprise new rules to curb video game spending. A brutal reminder that regulatory risk over there is still very real.
Nike's Warning: Nike stock slipped after they warned about "cautious consumer behavior" heading into 2026. Translation: People might finally be running out of cash for $200 Jordans. Watch the rest of the retail sector closely.
university
today’s term: “tax-loss harvesting”
The Nerd Definition: The practice of selling security holdings at a loss to offset a capital gains tax liability.
The Real Talk: You bought a stock, it tanked, and you're sad. But if you sell it before Dec 31st, you can use that loss to lower the taxes you owe on the stocks you did make money on. It’s basically making financial lemonade out of your loser lemons. 🍋
(Disclaimer: We aren't tax pros. Talk to a CPA before doing this.)
a word from our friend,
7 Actionable Ways to Achieve a Comfortable Retirement
Your dream retirement isn’t going to fund itself—that’s what your portfolio is for.
When generating income for a comfortable retirement, there are countless options to weigh. Muni bonds, dividends, REITs, Master Limited Partnerships—each comes with risk and oppor-tunity.
The Definitive Guide to Retirement Income from Fisher investments shows you ways you can position your portfolio to help you maintain or improve your lifestyle in retirement.
It also highlights common mistakes, such as tax mistakes, that can make a substantial differ-ence as you plan your well-deserved future.
until tomorrow,
Stock Saver