Average short interest across the S&P 500 consumer discretionary stocks has decreased to 2.45% of shares float in end-December, from 2.54% a month earlier. Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) has been up 30.

Today, history offers us reason to be excited about 2025, suggesting that the S&P 500 is likely to soar as it's done in previous periods. But even if it doesn't, by taking the steps I've mentioned, your portfolio still could advance this year -- and most importantly, over the long run.

It's not easy for a stock investor to beat the S&P 500 in any given year, and it's even harder to do that regularly. Even Warren Buffett, who has beaten the market by huge margins over decades, hasn't managed to do so every year.

A number of new energy stocks, including S&P 500 nuclear stocks Constellation Energy and Vistra along with Amazon.com supplier Plug Power, moved higher following the the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service revising its rules for hydrogen production tax credits.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq have both felt pressure as shares of major tech companies came under pressure Monday. Investors continue to keep a close eye on rising Treasury yields, which heighten worries about valuations, particularly for some of the market's most highly valued names.

The "Magnificent Seven" is a group of seven tech-orientated companies -- Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Apple, Nvidia, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Tesla. All seven crushed the S&P 500 in 2023, and all but Microsoft beat the index again in 2024.

(k) index funds may be more heavily weighted toward technology stocks than investors realize, which can expose them to hidden sector-specific risks

Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, and Broadcom accounted for 46% of the total return in the S&P 500 in 2024. And while the Magnificent Seven — a group of mega-cap tech stocks that have seen ...

Lofty expectations for US corporate profits mean that the flood of earnings reports due in the coming fortnight will play a particularly important role in setting the direction for Wall Street stocks, investors say, after a shaky start to 2025.

The major indexes reclaimed their 50-day moving averages while bitcoin also rallied into Donald Trump's presidential inauguration. Many stocks flashed buy signals.

The U.S. stock market broadened its rally this week, with all S&P 500 sectors booking weekly gains, as investors appeared relieved by interest rates in the bond market reversing some of their recent startling climb.

Amazon has no challenger in e-commerce, and it also has unprecedented opportunities in generative AI. Costco has a reliable membership model that breeds loyalty, and it also pays a dividend. Costco stock is more expensive than Amazon stock.