AmTrust Financial Servs Stock (OTC: AFSIB)

Latest news for AmTrust Financial Servs (OTC:AFSIB) Stock

AmTrust Financial Services Inc is a multinational company that underwrites and provides property and casualty insurance products. The company specializes in coverage for small to mid-sized businesses, with a philosophical focus on niche diversity and low-hazard risk. AmTrust's business model strives to achieve its profit goals through geographic and product diversification. The company reports three business segments: Small Commercial Business, Specialty Risk and Extended Warranty, and Specialty Program. The vast majority of revenues is derived from its Small Commercial Business risk.

AMTRUST FINCL D/S PFD B by AmTrust Financial Services, Inc.

AmTrust Financial Services Inc

Himax Technologies, Inc. ("Himax" or "Company") (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HIMX#NASDAQ">HIMX</a>), an industry leader in fabless display driver ICs and other semiconductors, today announced that the Company and its AI ecosystem partners will unveil a suite of innovative, production-ready AIoT applications at CES 2025, powered by Himax's groundbreaking ultralow power WiseEye Module solutions. These designs will showcase intuitive, user-friendly AI capabilities set to transform multiple industries by improving productivity, scalability, automation, and efficiency, all while delivering better performance and lower power consumption. Himax's ultralow power WiseEye Module solutions are leading the AIoT revolution with their advanced, efficient, and scalable AI-driven technologies.
The Himax WiseEye Module seamlessly integrates ultralow power WiseEye AI processors and proprietary always-on CMOS sensors, designed with compact form factors, high integration, and plug-and-play functionality. Characterized by remarkably low power consumption at just single-digit milliwatts, it is ideal for battery-powered endpoint devices that cater to everyday life. The WiseEye Module incorporates versatile AI models from in-house or third-party partners, enabling no-code/low-code AI development for use cases like people counting, gesture recognition, human detection, face recognition, and audio command classification. This simplifies the AI development process, reducing cost and time, allowing AI developers, even those with limited AI expertise, to easily integrate advanced AI features into their systems and applications. Given their versatility, WiseEye Modules are poised to become foundational technology for a wide range of IoT applications.
At the event, a visionary and innovative lineup of ultralow power WiseEye Module solutions will be on display, showcasing their potential to revolutionize AI-powered applications across industries.

News

HIMX

Himax To Showcase AI-Powered Smart Tech Revolution at CES 2025

Smith &amp; Wesson Brands Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SWBI#NASDAQ">SWBI</a>) faces increased legal scrutiny as Mexico&#8217;s landmark lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers reaches a critical juncture at the Supreme Court, potentially creating new liability risks for the firearms industry.
What Happened: The lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleges that Smith &amp; Wesson and other defendants enabled gun trafficking to Mexican drug cartels through their business practices. According to ATF data <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/guns-from-us-ending-up-in-mexico-60-minutes/">reviewed</a> by CBS News, an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 U.S. firearms are smuggled into Mexico annually, with 75% of confiscated weapons originating from the United States.
The case challenges traditional liability protections enjoyed by gun manufacturers under U.S. law. Mexico&#8217;s legal strategy, spearheaded by attorney Jonathan Lowy, argues that manufacturers are &#8220;aiding and abetting&#8221; gun trafficking by continuing to supply dealers with questionable sales patterns.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42640010/palantir-and-anduril-reportedly-lead-consortium-partner-with-spacex-and-openai-to-compete-against-traditional-defense-contractors-in-850-billion-us-military-market">Palantir And Anduril Reportedly Lead Consortium, Partner With SpaceX And OpenAI To Compete Against Traditional Defense Contractors In $850 Billion US Military Market</a>
Why It Matters: Smith &amp; Wesson has denied the allegations as &#8220;not true.&#8221; The firearms industry has petitioned the Supreme Court, arguing that allowing such lawsuits could subject manufacturers to costly litigation from foreign entities attempting to influence U.S. gun control policies.
The lawsuit&#8217;s scope extends beyond manufacturers to include five Arizona-based gun dealers. Internal ATF documents revealed that 566 guns recovered in Mexico over a four-and-a-half-year period were traced to these dealers, with nearly 200 coming from a single retailer near Phoenix.
Aside from the Mexico lawsuit, Smith &amp; Wesson has also faced challenging market conditions weighing on its earnings &#8211; the company attributed its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40748035/smith-wesson-brands-reports-downbeat-results-joins-planet-labs-pbc-broadcom-and-other-big-stocks-mov">weaker second-quarter earnings</a> to inflationary pressures impacting consumers&#8217; spending.
Price Action: Smith &amp; Wesson Brands Inc. closed on Friday at $10.04, declining 1.47%. Over the past month, the stock has dropped 27.1%, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42639737/trumps-call-to-reclaim-panama-canal-sparks-backlash-every-square-meter-belongs-to-panama-says-president-mulino">Trump&#8217;s Call To Reclaim Panama Canal Sparks Backlash: &#8216;Every Square Meter Belongs To Panama,&#8217; Says President Mulino</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Equities

Markets

SWBI

Smith & Wesson's Fate Hangs In The Balance As Supreme Court Weighs Mexico's Gun Trafficking Lawsuit: SWBI Stock Down 27% Over Past Month, Here's What's Next

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some easing in the fear level, with the index moving to the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Friday.
U.S. stocks settled higher on Friday, with the Dow Jones index surging almost 500 points during the session.
Even as the major indices recorded gains on Friday, all three averages fell last week. The Dow dipped around 2.3% to record its third losing week in a row. The S&amp;P 500 declined about 2%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell around 1.8% last week.
On the economic data front, the U.S. personal consumption expenditures price index rose 0.1% month-over-month in November down from 0.2% in each of the prior two months and compared to market estimates of 0.2%. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment rose to 74 in December, recording the highest level since April, versus a reading of 71.8 in November.
Carnival Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CCL#NYSE">CCL</a>) reported better-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter on Friday.
All sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a positive note, with utilities, real estate, and information technology stocks recording the biggest gains on Friday.
The Dow Jones closed higher by around 498 points to 42,840.26 on Friday. The S&amp;P 500 rose 1.09% to 5,930.85, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 1.03% to close at 19,572.60 during Friday's session.
Investors are awaiting earnings results from Limoneira Company (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMNR#NASDAQ">LMNR</a>), Bridgeline Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLIN#NASDAQ">BLIN</a>), and Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVXL#NASDAQ">AVXL</a>) today.
What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?
At a current reading of 28.1, the index moved to the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Friday, versus a prior reading of 21.9.
The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/12/42616196/jim-cramer-likes-walmart-recommends-buying-this-very-very-good-financial-stock">Jim Cramer Likes Walmart, Recommends Buying This &#8216;Very, Very Good&#8217; Financial Stock</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Pre-Market Outlook

AVXL

BLIN

LMNR

Dow Jumps Around 500 Points But Records 3rd Straight Weekly Loss: Greed Index Moves To 'Fear' Zone

Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) CEO, has bet heavily on the tech giant, which accounts for more than 80% of his investment portfolio. The result? His approach has paid off handsomely.
What Happened: In a Q&amp;A <a href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/steve-ballmer-the-non-investing-guru-of-investing-b0058c11">with</a> The Wall Street Journal that was published on Sunday, Ballmer shared that over 80% of his holdings are tied to his former company, Microsoft, with the remainder invested in stock index funds.
He attributes his financial success to Microsoft&#8217;s strong performance, particularly after the AI boom sparked by Microsoft-backed OpenAI&#8217;s ChatGPT in November 2022.
"Microsoft's outperformed just about every other asset I could have owned," he stated, adding, "It's a little hard to say that it hasn't worked out."
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42608964/samsung-one-ui-6-1-1-update-is-turning-this-galaxy-series-phones-into-paperweights-bricking-random-reboots-and-overheating-reported?itm_source=parsely-api">Samsung One UI 6.1.1 Update Is Turning This Galaxy Series Phones Into Paperweights: Bricking, Random Reboots And Overheating Reported</a>
Ballmer <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/12/42638406/tech-titans-triumph-the-top-10-billionaires-who-made-big-gains-in-2024">holds a 4.5% stake in Microsoft</a>. Since 2020 till now, Microsoft has returned an average of 28.37% annually, significantly outperforming the S&amp;P 500's average return of around 11.08%.
When Ballmer was asked if his strategy applies to everyday investors, he said, &#8220;I'd suggest keeping it simple—unless you're truly committed to becoming an expert.&#8221;
Microsoft currently has a market capitalization of $3.346 trillion, making it the third most valuable company in the world. According to <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/lxquj26b2sag">data from Benzinga Pro</a>, Microsoft shares have risen by 17.72% year-to-date.
Subscribe to the <a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a> to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: Ballmer&#8217;s strategy is influenced by Warren Buffett, who recommends S&amp;P 500 index funds <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/startups/24/10/41252767/warren-buffetts-timeless-advice-is-to-invest-in-stocks-that-youd-be-perfectly-happy-to-hold-if-the-m">for retail investors</a>.
Now worth $151 billion, according <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/">to</a> the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, Ballmer also has a significant investment in the Los Angeles Clippers, which has appreciated since his $2 billion purchase in 2014, now <a href="https://www.forbes.com/teams/los-angeles-clippers/">valued</a> at $5.5 billion.
Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39588200/bill-gates-hired-steve-ballmer-as-the-first-business-manager-at-microsoft-and-now-is-behind-him-">Ballmer&#8217;s wealth briefly surpassed</a> that of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. However, at the time of writing, Gates is at number seven on the list with a net worth of $160 billion, ahead of Ballmer.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42609242/marques-brownlee-breaks-down-how-googles-ai-video-generator-veo2-outpaces-openais-sora?itm_source=parsely-api">Marques Brownlee Breaks Down How Google&#8217;s AI Video Generator Veo2 Outpaces OpenAI&#8217;s Sora</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Microsoft

Tech

Media

MSFT

Steve Ballmer's Winning Investment Strategy: Billionaire Says 'Keep It Simple' As His Microsoft Bet Pays Off Thanks To AI Boom

Goldman Sachs analyst Allen Chang initiates coverage on Pony AI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PONY#NASDAQ">PONY</a>) with a Buy rating and announces Price Target of $19.6.

Price Target

Initiation

Analyst Ratings

PONY

Goldman Sachs Initiates Coverage On Pony AI with Buy Rating, Announces Price Target of $19.6

&nbsp;Alvotech (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALVO#NASDAQ">ALVO</a>), a global biotech company specializing in the development and manufacture of biosimilar medicines for patients worldwide, today announced that its stock will be added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NBI#NASDAQ">NBI</a>). The addition comes as a part of the annual reconstitution of the index. Alvotech's inclusion in the NBI will be effective when the U.S. market opens on Monday, December 23, 2024.

Government

Regulations

ALVO

Alvotech Joins Nasdaq Biotech Index, Effective Today

As the largest publicly traded dedicated non-operator, NOG has a large pipeline of acquisition opportunities and the Company frequently sends expressions of interest to acquire assets or businesses in order to evaluate and conduct due diligence on potential opportunities. Many of these requests to conduct diligence are rejected. The Company is not currently engaged in formal negotiations to acquire Granite Ridge.

Reported Friday, NOG Addressed Speculation On Granite Ridge Acquisition, Confirms No Formal Negotiations

With U.S. stock futures trading higher this morning on Monday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Wall Street expects Limoneira Company (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMNR#NASDAQ">LMNR</a>) to report a quarterly loss at 7 cents per share on revenue of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/LMNR/earnings">$42.45 million after</a> the closing bell, according to data from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>. Limoneira shares gained 2% to $26.83 in after-hours trading.</li>
<li>Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) bagged a key win in its legal battle against semiconductor design company Arm Holdings Plc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>). A federal jury in Delaware ruled that Qualcomm did not violate its licensing agreement with Arm, clearing a hurdle for the San Diego, California-<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42633922/qualcomm-bags-win-in-chips-licensing-trial-against-arm-but-the-battle-is-not-over-yet">headquartered chipmaker</a>. Qualcomm shares gained 1.9% to $155.72 in the after-hours trading session.</li>
<li>Analysts expect Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVXL#NASDAQ">AVXL</a>) to post a quarterly loss at 16 cents per share before the opening bell. Anavex Life Sciences shares gained 0.2% to $8.65 in the after-hours trading session.</li>
</ul>
Check out our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/">premarket coverage here</a>
<ul>
<li>Brenmiller Energy Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BNRG#NASDAQ">BNRG</a>) shares rose sharply in after-hours trading on Friday after the company said it was awarded ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. Brenmiller Energy shares surged 12% to $0.8440 in the after-hours trading session.</li>
<li>Analysts expect Bridgeline Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLIN#NASDAQ">BLIN</a>) to post a quarterly loss at 5 cents per share on revenue of $3.87 million after the closing bell. Bridgeline Digital shares fell 0.7% to $1.48 in after-hours trading.</li>
</ul>
Check This Out:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/12/42616196/jim-cramer-likes-walmart-recommends-buying-this-very-very-good-financial-stock">Jim Cramer Likes Walmart, Recommends Buying This &#8216;Very, Very Good&#8217; Financial Stock</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Earnings

Trading Ideas

BNRG

QCOM

Qualcomm, Limoneira And 3 Stocks To Watch Heading Into Monday

SGML

Reported Friday, Sigma Lithium Secures Unanimous Approval For Triple Environmental License At Barreiro Mine

Fund manager Stephen Yiu of Blue Whale Growth Fund has forecasted that&nbsp;Broadcom Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) will yield substantial returns for investors by 2025, potentially surpassing AI chip heavyweight&nbsp;Nvidia Corporation&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>).
What Happened: Yiu said that tech giants like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Google LLC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) are looking to broaden their AI chip supplier base. Despite their substantial purchases of Nvidia&#8217;s GPUs, these companies are now also creating their own custom chips for AI applications, CNBC<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/23/-the-next-nvidia-broadcom-is-the-ai-chip-stock-to-own-in-2025-investor-says.html"> reported</a> on Monday.
Yiu sees Broadcom as&nbsp;the next Nvidia in terms&nbsp;of potential outperformance, thanks to its strong partnerships with major tech firms. 
&#8220;Nvidia's&nbsp;GPUs are very powerful, but&nbsp;at the same time also&nbsp;very expensive,&#8221; Yiu noted. &#8220;From&nbsp;Microsoft's perspective, you don't want&nbsp;to become overly dependent on&nbsp;one single supplier.&#8221;
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42624559/warren-buffett-says-a-surge-in-people-doing-big-dumb-things-is-tied-to-historically-easy-access-to-other-peoples-money?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warren Buffett Says A Surge In People Doing &#8216;Big Dumb Things&#8217; Is Tied To Historically Easy Access To Other People&#8217;s Money</a>
Broadcom&#8217;s year to date returns have climbed 103.42% this year, as of Monday pre-market hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>. It hit a market cap of over $1 trillion after announcing that its AI revenue&nbsp;tripled to $12.2 billion in&nbsp;2024. The company is working&nbsp;with three major cloud computing&nbsp;customers, Meta, Alphabet, and ByteDance, to develop custom AI chips.
Despite still holding an investment in Nvidia, Yiu has significantly cut it from nearly 10% of his fund's portfolio. He views Broadcom as a more attractive investment opportunity due to its smaller size. 
&#8220;For&nbsp;a $1 trillion company to&nbsp;grow 50% to become $1.5&nbsp;trillion is reasonable. But for&nbsp;Nvidia to do that, they&nbsp;would need to add another&nbsp;$1.5 trillion, which is a&nbsp;very big number,&#8221; he elaborated.
Why It Matters: Broadcom&#8217;s CEO Hock Tan has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42613368/broadcom-expects-decade-long-ai-chip-boom-as-big-tech-invest-billions">expressed strong confidence</a> in the sustainability of the AI boom. Big tech companies like Google, Meta, and ByteDance are investing heavily in designing custom processors to accelerate the training and deployment of AI systems. Even OpenAI and Apple have partnered with Broadcom to develop their AI server chips, diversifying their exposure to Nvidia.
Kurv Investment Management&#8217;s CEO Howard Chan recently mentioned that chipmakers like <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42600155/exclusive-nvidia-broadcom-tipped-to-dominate-ai-compute-wave-by-kurv-ceo">Nvidia and Broadcom </a>are leading the AI wave. He noted that demand is outstripping supply in this sector, benefiting chipmakers and cloud computing service providers.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), known for her active stock market investments as a member of Congress, disclosed in June that she had <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40692177/whats-going-on-with-broadcom-shares-today" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">acquired call options on Broadcom. </a>These options, adjusted to a strike price of $80 after a 10-for-1 stock split, are set to expire in June 2025.
Pelosi, a widely followed Congressional trader, has drawn <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40692177/whats-going-on-with-broadcom-shares-today">significant attention to her stock holdings,</a> inspiring dedicated Pelosi portfolio trackers. 
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/12/42628397/bitcoin-ethereum-xrp-dogecoin-recover-from-days-losses-if-this-is-the-christmas-sell-off-and-the-top-so-be-it-trader-says?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Recover From Day&#8217;s Losses: &#8216;If This Is The Christmas Sell Off And The Top, So Be It,&#8217; Trader Says</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock

General

AMZN

AVGO

GOOGL

NVDA

Is This Nancy Pelosi's Stock Pick Set To Overtake Nvidia? AI Chip Race To Heat Up By 2025 As Meta And Microsoft Look Beyond Jensen Huang's Chip Maker, Says Expert

<h3>Companies Reporting Before The Bell</h3>
• Anavex Life Sciences (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVXL#NASDAQ">AVXL</a>) is expected to report earnings for its fourth quarter. 
<h3>Companies Reporting After The Bell</h3>
• Bridgeline Digital (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLIN#NASDAQ">BLIN</a>) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.01 per share on revenue of $3.87 million. 
• Limoneira (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMNR#NASDAQ">LMNR</a>) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.07 per share on revenue of $42.45 million. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Earnings Scheduled For December 23, 2024

WHLM

Reported Friday, Wilhelmina International Confirms Nasdaq Delisting, Last Trading Day Expected December 31, 2024

GLDG

Reported Friday, GoldMining Renews At-The-Market Program For Up To $50M In Common Shares

Macro Economic Events

Econ #s

Economics

U.K. Gross Domestic Product (YoY) For Q3 0.9% Vs. 1.0% Est.; 0.7% Prior

U.K. Gross Domestic Product (QoQ) For Q3 0.0% Vs. 0.1% Est.; 0.4% (Revised) Prior

U.K. Current Account For Q3 -18.1B Vs. -22.9B Est.; 24.0B (Revised) Prior

U.K. Business Investment (QoQ) For Q3 1.9% Vs. 1.2% Est.; 1.8% (Revised) Prior

The<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-invest-in-the-sp-500"> S&amp;P 500 </a>is flashing a rare technical warning signal that hasn&#8217;t been seen since the Jimmy Carter administration, with declining stocks dominating market action for 14 consecutive days through Thursday.
What Happened: &#8220;Market tops have to start somewhere, and many begin with breadth divergences,&#8221; warns Ed Clissold, chief U.S. strategist at NDR, noting this marks the longest decline streak since Oct. 15, 1978, Business Insider <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-risk-signal-breadth-sp500-investor-sentiment-returns-2024-12">reported</a> on Monday. 
The troubling market breadth comes as the benchmark index trades just 4% below its record high, masking deeper problems beneath the surface. The equal-weighted S&amp;P 500, which better reflects the typical stock&#8217;s performance, has already fallen 7% from its peak.
Historical data paints a concerning picture for investors. After similar breadth declines since 1972, the S&amp;P 500 has averaged just 0.1% returns over the following six months – significantly below the typical 4.5% gain seen during all periods.
The market faces a critical test heading into the traditionally bullish year-end period. &#8220;A lack of a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42627985/which-magnificent-7-stock-will-gain-the-most-in-a-santa-claus-rally-28-select">Santa Claus Rally</a> would be concerning not only from a seasonal perspective, but it would allow breadth divergences to deepen,&#8221; Clissold cautioned.
Adding to the worries, NDR&#8217;s sentiment indicators show investors have maintained extreme optimism since September, marking the seventh-longest stretch of excessive bullishness since 1995. This optimism, combined with the Federal Reserve&#8217;s recent hawkish stance on 2025 interest rate cuts, has pushed the market toward its worst weekly performance since March 2023.
&#8220;If the stock market cannot rectify recent breadth divergences in the next few weeks, it would suggest our concerns about a more difficult 2025 could come to fruition,&#8221; Clissold concluded.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42639832/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-lose-sheen-ahead-of-holidays-but-top-analyst-points-to-this-indicator-says-btc-will-hit-a-top-above-168k">Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Lose Sheen Ahead Of Holidays But Top Analyst Points To This Indicator, Says BTC Will Hit A Top Above $168K</a>
Why It Matters: The term &#8220;Santa Claus rally&#8221; was coined by Yale Hirsch in 1972 in the &#8220;Stock Trader&#8217;s Almanac.&#8221; It refers to the tendency for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/education/24/12/42625025/santa-claus-rally-in-2024-poll-shows-investors-split-on-end-of-year-returns-57-say-this">stock prices to rise </a>during the final five trading days of the year and the first two trading days of the following year. This period often sees higher prices due to factors such as year-end portfolio rebalancing, positive holiday sales reports, and optimism for the year ahead, all of which can contribute to strong returns for major stock market indexes.
When Benzinga asked if readers expect a Santa Clause rally, 57% responded that they expect one.
The S&amp;P 500 warning comes even as the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42627688/dow-surges-over-600-points-gold-jumps-1-5">index surged over</a> 1.5% to 5,956.61 on Friday.
The conflicting signals come as the benchmark index approaches what could be its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42430296/carson-researchs-50-year-study-suggests-that-the-26-months-old-bull-market-is-far-from-over">best election year</a> performance ever, having already notched 56 new all-time highs in 2024, according to Carson Research&#8217;s chief market strategist Ryan Detrick.
Price Action: Meanwhile, on Friday, the Dow traded up 1.55% to 43,000.53 while the NASDAQ rose 1.65% to 19,693.06. The S&amp;P 500 also rose, gaining, 1.53% to 5,956.61. SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) which closely monitors the S&amp;P 500 closed 1.20% higher and Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) closed 0.87% higher, as per <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Also: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42639832/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-lose-sheen-ahead-of-holidays-but-top-analyst-points-to-this-indicator-says-btc-will-hit-a-top-above-168k">Crypto Analyst: ‘2025 Will Continue To Be a Great Year for Bitcoin'</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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