Week (December 16 - 20) in Review: Financial Leaders

The third week of December 2024 saw significant fluctuations in global financial markets, driven by increased market volatility, sector declines, and currency struggles. A notable factor was the volatility spike in major indices, including SPY, QQQ, DIA, and IWM. The Volatility Index (VIX) surged by 8.14%, reflecting heightened investor uncertainty. Meanwhile, cryptocurrency markets experienced sharp declines, with Ethereum (ETH.X) plunging -12.34%, Bitcoin Cash (BCH.X) falling -18.66%, and Litecoin (LTC.X) dropping -21.07%.

United States Natural Gas (UNG) gained +9.63% in the commodities market, indicating resilience in the energy sector despite broader market declines. Meanwhile, inverse ETFs such as the AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright Short ETF (DWSH) rose +4.04%, benefiting from market downturns.

Global Overview

Market Volatility and Indices Performance

• SPY (S&P 500 ETF): -0.59% (607.81)
• QQQ (Nasdaq 100 ETF): +0.77% (526.48)
• DIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF): -1.74% (447.15)
• IWM (Russell 2000 ETF): -2.45% (238.93)

The tech-heavy QQQ was the only major index to post gains, underscoring investor preference for technology stocks amid market uncertainty. In contrast, small-cap stocks represented by IWM suffered the most, losing -2.45%.

Volatility Indices Surge

• VIX (S&P 500 Volatility): +8.14%
• VXN (Nasdaq 100 Volatility): +9.64%
• RVX (Russell 2000 Volatility): +6.23%
• VXD (Dow Jones Volatility): +7.23%

These spikes highlight increased investor caution as geopolitical concerns and economic uncertainty weighed on global sentiment.

Sector Overview

Sector Performance Highlights

Winners:

• Inverse ETFs:
  • DWSH (AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright Short ETF): +4.04%
  • SPXS (Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bear 3X ETF): +3.09%

Losers:

• Technology:
  • XLK (Technology Select Sector SPDR® ETF): -0.50%
  • SKYY (First Trust Cloud Computing ETF): -1.17%
• Health Care:
  • XLV (Health Care Select Sector SPDR® ETF): -1.26%
• Energy and Materials:
  • OIH (VanEck Oil Services ETF): -6.15%
  • PSCM (Invesco S&P SmallCap Materials ETF): -6.93%
  • XME (SPDR® S&P Metals and Mining ETF): -7.03%

The technology sector faced headwinds due to investor rotation into safer assets. The materials and energy sectors saw sharp declines, driven by falling commodity prices and global demand concerns.

International Overview

North America ETFs:

• QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust): -1.08%
• IVV (iShares Core S&P 500 ETF): -1.11%
• VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF): -1.13%

Latin America and Australian ETFs:

• FBZ (First Trust Brazil AlphaDEX® ETF): -4.62%
• FLAU (Franklin FTSE Australia ETF): -5.28%
• BRF (VanEck Brazil Small-Cap ETF): -7.00%

Emerging markets underperformed due to weak economic data and falling commodity prices. Latin America ETFs, particularly Brazil-focused funds, experienced steep losses amid economic and political challenges.

Financial Learning Models (FLMs) 

(FLMs) like those developed by Tickeron offered a critical advantage during this period. These AI-driven tools helped traders identify technical patterns and manage market volatility more effectively, emphasizing the growing role of machine learning in financial decision-making.

Summary

The week of December 16 - 20 was marked by significant volatility, driven by economic uncertainty, geopolitical concerns, and declining commodity prices. Technology stocks showed relative resilience, while small-cap and emerging market stocks suffered the most. Cryptocurrencies experienced one of their worst weekly performances, reflecting a broader risk-off sentiment.

Disclaimers and Limitations