Santa Claus Rally watch: What to know this week

As traders return from the holiday-shortened week, the price action heading into the new year will be closely monitored — especially given the relatively light economic data and earnings calendar for the coming days.

The S&P 500 $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$ is entering the period known for ushering in the so-called Santa Claus Rally, or seasonally strong timeframe for stocks at the end of each year.

According to data from LPL Financial, the Santa Claus Rally period encapsulates the seven days most likely to be higher in any given year. Since 1950, the Santa Claus Rally period has produced a positive return for the S&P 500 78.9% of the time, with an average return of 1.33%.

Part of the content is taken from Yahoo.