How does the Christmas period affect business stock values?

Christmas is usually a good time for most businesses. Spending increases at this time of the year across retailers and transportation, as well as many other sectors. But how does this affect stock values during this period?

Retail stock

Retail stocks usually enjoy a Christmas boost. This coincides with increased spending at retailers. Consumers are suddenly looking for Christmas presents or have the spare time to reward themselves with a treat. From as early as October, the public have been looking ahead to make Christmas purchases and it’s resulted in retailers finally beginning to bounce back following the difficulty of the pandemic.

Black Friday

Black Friday usually ushers in a surge in spending just before Christmas and stock values usually rise accordingly. The retail sector, in particular, thrives during Black Friday. This year, the SPDR S&P Retail ETF index soared by 61 per cent in the build up to Black Friday with spending flying upwards for this weekend of sales. As a result, the process where you trade in groups of stocks rather than individual stocks, indices trading, can be particularly lucrative during this period.

Transportation

Transportation is another industry that tends to thrive during the Christmas period. And naturally, transport stocks will rise with this boost. For a start, delivery companies such as Fedex, UPS and Hermes will experience a surge in demand at this time. With consumers requesting deliveries for gifts and sending cards all over the country, there’s plenty for transport companies to get through. Elsewhere, other transport stocks often rise during the Christmas period too. Big airliners, for instance, will get a huge boost in business with people flying home for Christmas and their stocks will usually rise too.

January jump

January is usually a time of the year where there’s a natural boost for stocks. Many people decide to join the market at this time of the year and invest more seriously. However, it’s worth being cautious once January hits. Many traders can draw false conclusions from this boost or volatility. For instance, many newcomers will assume that any January rise or fall will continue throughout the rest of the year. However, these trends can easily change quickly. As such, it’s best to make informed, calculated decisions at this time of the year.

The Christmas period usually boosts various stocks. In retail and transportation, for instance, the growing demand for those industries usually results in a boost in stock value. To add to this, with Black Friday occurring during this period many industries will receive an additional boost. The Christmas period can be a great time to begin investing, as long as you make informed choices.