Will Wall Street See Santa… or the Grinch?

It’s a short trading week, with the markets closing early tomorrow and staying closed through Christmas.

But that doesn’t mean things will be quiet until the New Year.

In a minute, I’ll tell you what could happen during the holiday break… and how our team will guide you through it.

First, though, let’s take a look at our Top Stories and the Reader Forum.

Your Top Stories & Analysis of the Week:

• “Margin Loans for Musk’s Space Pioneers” (Rude Awakening, Sean Ring): People who own valuable shares of stock can’t enjoy their profits without selling their shares. But if they sell, they’ll miss out if the stock becomes even more valuable. As Sean explains, however, a type of loan lets people in this situation have their cake and eat it, too. In fact, employees of Elon Musk’s SpaceX recently received a sweetheart deal to put this strategy in motion. Gorfan F. calls Sean’s take s a “great article,” adding, “I sort of knew how those loans worked, but now I understand them even better.”

• “Make AI Agents Work for You (Part One)” (Altucher Confidential, Chris Campbell): You probably know that artificial intelligence (AI) software can perform simple tasks like answering questions and summarizing data. But Chris says the day is rapidly approaching when AI can actually do things for you — like plan a trip, schedule appointments, even save money on your bills. All with very limited input from you! The technology could easily become Wall Street’s next obsession… and this introduction from Chris was our most-liked story last week.

• “Fed Recap: The Markets Lead the Fed” (Crisis Trader with Jim Rickards, Jim Rickards): Last Wednesday, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, as expected. But what it had to say about future policy moves sent Wall Street into a panic. Jim walked his Crisis Trader members through the Fed’s decision and decoded the press releases and statements that followed the meeting. As he explains, what the Fed will do next is kind of murky. And given the impact it could have on your portfolio, I decided to unlock Jim’s full thoughts for you.

Remember, we publish tens to HUNDREDS of stories. The write-ups above are our TOP ones for the week — including one that had been roped off from the public. If you want to stay ahead of the pack, make sure you’re caught up now.

And next week, I’ll unveil our Top Stories of 2024… as well as preview what could be our Top Stories of 2025!

The Reader Forum:

First from the mailbag today, Jim R. says:

Happy holidays to everyone at Paradigm. And thanks for the opportunity that you have given me.

Happy holidays to you, too, Jim! But I think we should be thanking you for the opportunity.

The opportunity to share our knowledge… teach you our strategies… and to help you get ahead! As we always say, Paradigm Press wouldn’t exist without you.

So your trust and loyalty is always appreciated.

Next, Ron D. wants Ray Blanco to know:

I followed your advice and purchased Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd. (CRDO) at $27.19 a share. I was especially excited about what you were saying, then that I went in with a substantial amount, at least for me… I chose to hold all and I am still holding. Thank you for your sound advice.

I hope you’re reading this, Ron, because I want to congratulate you on your big win! Ray first recommended CRDO shares in Paradigm Mastermind Group in May. With them currently selling for over $68, you’re looking at a 151% gain.

But I do want to caution you to never put too much money into any one position. It’s also a good idea to consider setting stop-loss orders to protect those profits if the stock suddenly changes direction. (Our FREE “Stock Investing 101” guide on our Wealth Desk can tell you how.)

I’m not trying to discourage or scare you — but our top priority is keeping your wealth safe!

Finally for today, Jim T. says:

Someone made reference to the Paradigm Press Slack channel that I know nothing about. Can you… identify what the PP Slack channel is?

Happy to shine some light on this for you, Jim.

Slack is our in-house communications platform, developed by Slack Technologies Inc. While it has multiple functions, it’s mostly used as a chat program for all of Paradigm Press.

Our team members can have private conversations. There are also specific channels for our various departments, as well as a channel for the entire staff.

Whoever referred to a Slack channel probably meant our Editorial channel. It’s where our editors, analysts and commentators share news stories… bounce around new ideas… and get feedback on stocks they’re watching or considering recommending.

These conversations are not meant for the public. Only employees have access to our Slack channels.

The closest anyone outside our organization gets to these internal chats is through The Wiretap, a weekly publication that’s exclusively available to Omega Wealth Circle members.

Every Wednesday, Publisher Matt Insley sends our elite members five of the biggest insights and analysis straight from our staff meetings and Slack messages.

Otherwise, you’ll see the results of these conversations in the strategies and recommendations we send in our issues and alerts!

That wraps up things for now.

Remember, your feedback is vital to our success… so please email me at concierge@paradigmpressgroup.com.

Questions? I’ll get answers! Comments? Let me hear them! Problems? I’ll try to solve them!

This is YOUR forum!

(And don’t forget, as I mentioned, we also have a FREE library of introductory investment guides — covering everything from finding a broker to how to trade stock options — on our Wealth Desk. For customer service issues, please use our contact page.)

Now, here’s what’s happening around the water cooler this week…

The Water Cooler — Upcoming Events and More

The days after Christmas typically see less buying and selling on Wall Street.

Most investors are busy celebrating the holidays, not thinking about their portfolios.

So the few people who are paying attention to the markets can have an oversized influence on prices.

It usually comes in the form of a “Santa Claus rally.” That’s the tendency of stocks to rise between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

In fact, on average, the S&P 500 sees a 1.3% jump.

Of course, that’s just an average. And sometimes, instead of Santa, Wall Street gets the Grinch.

We’re not sure which will show up this year… but our team will keep you in the loop. Expect must-read insights and presentations — not to mention more predictions about what lies ahead.

Our analysts will also be on high alert for any opportunities or problems that will crop up. They’ll let you know if there’s any actions you need to take.

So while I encourage you to enjoy the holidays, keep an eye on your inbox, too.

We might help you avoid getting coal in your portfolio… or deliver chances to make your season brighter!

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and good investing,