SPX has rallied, VIX has fallen, and there’s been general improvement in the U.S. stock market’s internal indicators. Moreover, this is the beginning of another seasonally bullish period — the so-called Santa Claus rally.

Investors became gloomy on Friday, threatening to derail a long winning streak for stocks, as inflation remained high.

While overall trading volumes were light on Monday, stocks did gain a little ground as we head into the final trading days of the year.