Stocks fell slightly Tuesday as the final trading week of 2022 kicked off. Investors deliberated over whether a Santa Claus rally will appear and lift a market weighed down by recession fears.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average last traded 13 points lower, or 0.04%. The S&P 500 slipped 0.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite shed 1.1%.
China-linked stocks rose as the country eased Covid restrictions. Tesla slumped 5% on news of an extended production pause, while Southwest shed 4% as the airline canceled thousands of flights.
Stocks are headed for their worst yearly performance since 2008 and another down month, with the Dow and S&P down 8.8% and 19.8%, respectively. The Nasdaq’s fallen 33.8%.
For December, the S&P has dropped roughly 6.4%, while the Dow and Nasdaq are down about 4.2% and 9.7%, respectively. The major averages are on pace for their biggest monthly declines since September.
After a brutal year consumed by inflation and recession fears, investors are hoping to cap off 2022 on a positive note. Friday kicked off the period for a Santa Claus rally, which is typically considered the final five-day trading stretch in the current year, as well as the first two trading days in the new year.
Questions also lingered over whether the volatility will continue into 2023 and what the economy, and inflation, will bring as the calendar year turns a corner.
Markets were closed Monday for the Christmas holiday. In this shortened trading week, investors are expecting either relative quiet or further volatility due to low trading volumes.
