The S&P 500 is climbing toward its first gain since Christmas. The main gauge of Wall Street’s health rose 1.3% Friday and was on track to break a five-day losing streak, its longest since April.

The U.S. stock market had a banner year, but the holiday season has been far from festive. The S&P 500 logged 57 record highs in 2024, the sixth most since 1928, while also recording consecutive 20% gains for the fifth time on record.

Indexes fell in their first trading day after Christmas as traders hope for a so-called Santa Clause rally to propel markets higher into the new year.

Get your trading in now. These U.S. and international markets close early Tuesday, Dec,. 24, for Christmas Eve.

The New York Stock Exchange markets will be closed for Christmas Day, but they will be open for a shortened trading day on Christmas Eve. The markets will close at 1 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday with volume expected to be light for the holiday week,

As we transition into 2025, U.S. investors are keen to understand how the stock market may unfold. With Republicans now in control of the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives, and after a robust two-year run of nearly 20 percent annual gains in 2023 and 2024, questions arise about what history suggests for the coming year

After closing higher in Tuesday's abbreviated session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished today up 0.07% at 43,325, while the S&P 500 was 0.04% lower at 6,037, and the Nasdaq Composite had shed 0.05% to 20,020.

Shares are lower in Tokyo and Shanghai, two of only a handful of world markets open on Christmas day. Oil prices rose.