Key Points A Santa Claus rally happens 80% of the time in the stock market. It's usually a good indicator for the year ahead... but not always. Even if Santa Claus arrives for the markets, investors should pay attention to this other big factor in 2026. 10 stocks we like better than S&P 500 Index › During the last five trading days of December and the first two trading days of January, the stock market has historically rallied at an above-normal rate, 80% of the time, with an average return of 1. ...