Wall Street remains optimistic. The consensus price target for the S&P 500 in 2025 is 6715, 14% higher than where the blue-chip barometer ended in 2024.

Like Santa, who gives free gifts to our children, people think of the state as providing services “for free.” However, the state cannot provide anything without

Key Takeaways Stocks fell on Thursday, dampening investors' hope for a Santa Claus rally to start 2025.The S&P 500's average return in years without a Santa Claus rally is less than half its return in years with one (5% vs.

Traders had hoped a banner year for the S&P 500 would end in a "Santa Claus Rally"—a run-up commonly seen over the last five trading days of a year and the first two of the next. While Thursday and Friday trading could bring a turnaround,