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January 2, 2025

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The Santa Claus Rally may be iffy, but a 23.31% gain in the S&P 500 ($SPX) for the year isn’t too shabby. It was a stellar year in the stock market, especially for the top 10 weighted stocks in the S&P 500, and that’s worth making a toast as we close out 2024.

In terms of the performance of S&P 500 stocks, Palantir Technologies (PLTR), Vistra Corp (VST), and NVIDIA (NVDA) took the top 3 spots. But performance is just one measure, and there are several other benchmarks. One that’s worth considering is strength, and, as the year winds down, let’s look at which S&P 500 stocks ended the year as the technically strongest ones.

In the Sample Scan Library, if you run the S&P 500 Stocks under Predefined Groups and sort the results by the StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR, pronounced S-C-O-O-T-E-R) from highest to lowest, PLTR takes the crown, followed by United Airlines Holdings Inc. (UAL) and then Tesla Inc. (TSLA). Let’s look at each of these stocks more closely.

PLTR Stock’s Ride to the Top

When PLTR’s stock went public in 2020, it was volatile — there was a lot of chatter about the stock in the media. But in 2022, the stock went through a slump. In 2023, it started showing signs of resurfacing, gaining strength, getting clobbered, and reviving itself before making its way to the top of the performance and strength category.

The daily chart below shows that PLTR’s stock price has had a SCTR score above 76 since early June 2024. During that time, the stock price stayed above its 50-day simple moving average (SMA), except for in August when it dipped below it for two trading days.

FIGURE 1. PLTR STOCK ENDED THE YEAR WITH THE HIGHEST SCTR SCORE. The stock has been in an uptrend since mid-2024.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

PLTR stock was up 340.59% for the year and ended the year with a SCTR score of 99.7.

UAL Stock Takes Off

Airline stocks, in general, were hit hard by COVID-19, and the recovery has been slow. However, the resumption of travel by US consumers in 2024 helped many airline stocks, especially UAL.

After trading relatively sideways from 2020 to mid-2024, UAL’s stock price started a steep ascent in mid-September 2024. It crossed above its 50-day SMA and has remained above it for the year, hitting its altitude and now cruising at that level with some turbulence (see daily chart of UAL).

FIGURE 2. DAILY CHART OF UAL STOCK PRICE. Since September 2024, UAL has ascended steeply and hit cruising altitude.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

 The SCTR score has remained above 76 since September 16. UAL stock gained 134.34% in 2024 and ended the year with a SCTR score of 99.1.

TSLA Stock’s Wild Ride

TSLA is a stock that has been front and center in investors’ minds and is one of the most actively traded stocks in the S&P 500. The price gained traction towards the end of 2019 and, even though it had a rough 2022 and a pretty choppy 2023, TSLA’s stock has shown its might towards the second half of 2024 (see daily chart of TSLA).

FIGURE 3. TSLA STOCK’S A LITTLE CHOPPY. Although it has had its ups and downs, the stock rallied during the last quarter of the year.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Since the end of October, TSLA’s SCTR score has remained above 76 and the stock price has remained above its 50-day SMA. TSLA’s stock price gained 62.52% in 2024 and ended the year with a 98.4 SCTR score.

The Bottom Line

Will these three stocks — PLTR, TSLA, and UAL — remain strong in 2025? Be sure to add them to your ChartLists so you can keep an eye on their performance.

If the SCTR score remains high, consider adding positions when price pulls back and reverses with a follow-through. If the stocks show signs of weakening, it’s time to reevaluate. Identify which stocks are taking their place, analyze each one, and determine if adding the strong ones can add muscle to your portfolio.

Scanning for S&P 500 stocks with high SCTR scores is relatively simple to do in StockCharts. There are many other scans to explore in the Sample Scan Library. The nice thing is the scans are already built for you — coding skills are not necessary! It’s something to consider for 2025.


Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

The global transition to a green economy has been a boon for the cleantech market — it’s helping investment in renewable energy and clean technology continue to grow, allowing the sector to keep building momentum.

Analysts see a few key trends dominating the cleantech sector worldwide, including solar and wind energy, agricultural technology, electric vehicles (EVs), EV infrastructure and clean energy commercial long-haul transportation solutions.

Heading into 2025, here’s a look at the best-performing Canadian cleantech stocks on the TSX and TSXV year-to-date; CSE companies were considered, but none made the list at this time. Data for this article was gathered on December 29, 2024, using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies with market capitalizations greater than C$50 million are included.

1. Anaergia (TSX:ANRG)

Company Profile

Year-to-date gain: 260 percent
Market cap: C$152.37 million
Share price: C$0.90

Anaergia is a global company that specializes in converting waste, including wastewater and agricultural and municipal solid waste, into renewable energy, clean water and organic fertilizer.

It has operations in 17 countries spanning North America, Africa, Asia and Europe.

On July 10, Anaeriga announced the completion of a strategic investment when the company closed the third tranche of a C$40.8 million investment deal with Marny Investissement. The deal gives Marny a controlling interest in Anaergia as it now owns over 60 percent of the company’s outstanding shares.

In December 2024, the company extended its reach with new contracts to operate in California and signed a deal to provide organic waste as an energy source for PepsiCo’s operations in Colombia.

Anaergia is slated to attend several cleantech conferences around the world in 2025.

2. BIOREM (TSXV:BRM)

Company Profile

Year-to-date gain: 223.23 percent
Market cap: C$51.58 million
Share price: C$3.20

BIOREM is a cleantech engineering company that develops air emissions abatement technologies using biological processes like biotrickling filtration, a process by which polluted gas is absorbed and degraded by microorganisms into harmless substances. BIOREM’s systems are capable of removing a wide array of pollutants, and they can design effective solutions tailored to meet specific needs and site requirements.

The company collaborates with municipalities, industrial facilities, oil and gas companies and landfill operators.

3. Tantalus Systems (TSX:GRID)

Year-to-date gain: 143.75 percent
Market cap: C$95.28 million
Share price: C$1.95

Tantalus Systems provides technology that gives utilities greater control and insight into their electric grids.

This includes advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), load management systems and grid analytics, all of which contribute to a more efficient and reliable power grid.

One of its key products, TRUConnect AMI, provides real-time data on energy consumption and grid conditions. The TRUFlex Load+DER Management system helps manage energy demand and integrate distributed energy resources like solar power, while TRUGrid Automation optimizes grid operations and improves response to events like power failures.

4. CVW CleanTech (TSXV:CVW)

Year-to-date gain: 25.33 percent
Market cap: C$136.03 million
Share price: C$0.94

CVW is a cleantech company focused on making the Canadian oil sands industry more sustainable.

Its technology recovers bitumen and valuable minerals like titanium and zircon from oil sands tailings ponds, reducing the environmental impact of oil and gas production.

In 2024, the company transitioned to a royalty-based model, investing in other cleantech companies in the commodity space in exchange for a share of their revenue. Its first royalty investment was in Northstar Clean Technologies (TSXV:ROOF,OTCQB:ROOOF), a company with technology that processes end-of-life asphalt shingles into components including liquid asphalt as well as aggregate and fiber for industrial use. The deal was finalized in September.

5. DynaCERT (TSX:DYA)

Company Profile

Year-to-date gain: 9.37 percent
Market cap: C$76.83 million
Share price: C$0.18

DynaCERT specializes in improving the fuel efficiency of diesel engines with its HydraGEN technology, which expanded into South American mines in 2024. The system adds hydrogen to the air intake of the engines, which reduces emissions of pollutants like nitrogen oxide, resulting in cleaner combustion.

The company’s technology works with traditional diesel engines and is being used across a wide range of heavy-duty industries, including transportation, mining and construction.

In recent years, DynaCERT has been collaborating with another alternative fuel company, Cipher Neutron, to accelerate the development of Cipher Neutron’s Alkaline Exchange Membrane (AEM) Electrolyser technology, a cheaper, more efficient method of producing green hydrogen. On June 11, DynaCERT acquired 15 percent ownership of Cipher Neutron.

On July 16, DynaCert announced that Cipher Neutron had been awarded a contract for a joint project with Simon Fraser University (SFU) in BC, Canada. The university hosts the SFU Clean Hydrogen Hub, at which Cipher Neutron will develop and deploy two 250 kilowatt AEM electrolyser stacks. The technology splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, making it a key process for producing low-cost green hydrogen.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Josef Schachter of the Schachter Energy Report outlined his outlook for oil and natural gas in 2025, saying he sees oil prices moving higher. In his view, West Texas Intermediate could reach US$90 per barrel in Q4.

‘I’m now looking for potentially US$80 to US$82 for the average in 2025,’ Schachter added.

‘But the big thing is I think we’re looking at the US$90s on a consistent basis in Q4, with a range of US$84 to US$96. Going from US$70 to US$90 (in) Q4 of this year to Q4 of next year — that will wake everybody up.’

Watch the interview for more of his thoughts on the oil and gas outlook, including ways to invest.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Stock futures are trading slightly lower Monday morning as investors gear up for the final month of 2024. S&P 500 futures slipped 0.18%, alongside declines in Dow Jones Industrial Average futures and Nasdaq 100 futures, which dropped 0.13% and 0.17%, respectively. The market’s focus is shifting to upcoming economic data, particularly reports on manufacturing and construction spending, ahead of this week’s key labor data releases.

November was a standout month for equities, with the S&P 500 futures rallying to reflect the index’s best monthly performance of the year. Both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average achieved all-time highs during Friday’s shortened trading session, with the Dow briefly surpassing 45,000. Small-cap stocks also saw robust gains, with the Russell 2000 index surging over 10% in November, buoyed by optimism around potential tax cuts.

As trading kicks off in December, investors are keeping a close eye on geopolitical developments in Europe, where France’s CAC 40 index dropped 0.77% amid political concerns, while Germany’s DAX and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 showed smaller declines.

S&P 500 futures will likely continue to act as a key barometer for market sentiment, particularly as traders assess the impact of upcoming economic data and global market developments.

S&P 500 Index Chart Analysis

This 15-minute chart of the S&P 500 Index shows a recent trend where the index attempted to break above the resistance level near 6,044.17 but retraced slightly to close at 6,032.39, reflecting a minor decline of 0.03% in the session. The candlestick pattern indicates some indecisiveness after a steady upward momentum seen earlier in the day.

On the RSI (Relative Strength Index) indicator, the value sits at 62.07, having declined from the overbought zone above 70 earlier. This suggests that the bullish momentum might be cooling off, and traders could anticipate a short-term consolidation or slight pullback. However, with RSI above 50, the overall trend remains positive, favoring buyers.

The index’s recent low of 5,944.36 marks a key support level, while the high at 6,044.17 could act as resistance. If the price sustains above the 6,020 level and RSI stabilizes without breaking below 50, the index could attempt another rally. Conversely, a drop below 6,020 could indicate a bearish shift.

In conclusion, the index displays potential for continued gains, but traders should watch RSI levels and price action near the support and resistance zones for confirmation.

The post Stock Futures Lower after S&P 500 futures ticked down 0.18% appeared first on FinanceBrokerage.

Stock futures climbed on Wednesday, driven by strong performances from Salesforce and Marvell Technology, following upbeat quarterly earnings. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 215 points (0.5%), while S&P 500 futures gained 0.3%, and Nasdaq-100 futures advanced by 0.7%.

Salesforce surged 12% after reporting fiscal third-quarter revenue that exceeded expectations, showcasing robust demand in the enterprise software sector. Meanwhile, chipmaker Marvell jumped 14% after surpassing earnings estimates and providing optimistic fourth-quarter guidance, indicating resilience in the semiconductor industry.

This movement follows a mixed session on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed with small gains, while the Dow dipped slightly. The broader market has experienced a modest start to December, contrasting with November’s robust rally, but analysts anticipate a resurgence in momentum. LPL Financial’s George Smith pointed out that December historically sees strong market performance, particularly in the latter half of the month.

However, economic data introduced some caution. ADP’s report revealed that private payrolls grew by just 146,000 in November, missing estimates of 163,000. This signals potential softness in the labor market, with investors now awaiting Friday’s November jobs report for further clarity.

S&P 500 Index Chart Analysis

Based on the provided stock chart, which appears to be a 15-minute candlestick chart for the S&P 500 Index, here’s a brief analysis:

The chart shows a clear upward trend, with higher highs and higher lows indicating bullish momentum over the analyzed period. The index has steadily climbed from a low of approximately 5,855 to a recent high of 6,053.58, suggesting strong buying interest.

Key resistance is observed near 6,050-6,053 levels, as the price has struggled to break above this zone in the most recent sessions. If the index breaches this level with strong volume, it could lead to further upward movement. Conversely, failure to break out may lead to a pullback, with potential support around the 6,000 psychological level and 5,980, where consolidation occurred previously.

The candlestick patterns show relatively small wicks, indicating limited volatility, which could imply steady market confidence. However, the bullish rally could be overextended, warranting caution for traders, especially if any negative catalysts emerge.

In summary, the short-term trend is bullish, but traders should monitor resistance levels and volume for signs of a breakout or reversal. It’s also essential to watch broader market factors, as indices are often influenced by macroeconomic data and sentiment.

The post S&P 500 climbed 0.3%, and Nasdaq-100 futures jumped 0.7% appeared first on FinanceBrokerage.