Wall Street Week Ahead: Investors hope for ‘Santa Claus’ rally as stocks lose steam – Markets

NEW YORK: With December so far delivering Scrooge-like returns in an otherwise stellar year for US stocks, investors hope the tail end of 2024 offers some holiday cheer, but warn of potential headwinds.

The benchmark S&P 500 is up more than 23% for 2024, even after a major stumble this week, and Wall Street has historically often enjoyed a strong annual close.

Since 1969, the last five…