The "Christmas Rally" may be coming in on a sleigh, with Goldman Sachs and Castle Securities optimistic about the performance of U.S. stocks

Citadel Securities, as the most enthusiastic supporter of the stock market this year, shows that retail investors remain highly interested in stocks. According to the company's data, individual traders have been net buyers of U.S. stock call options for 32 out of the past 33 weeks, setting a record for the longest duration of this data. Scott Rubner, head of equity and equity derivatives strategy, wrote in a report to clients: "After experiencing a year of strong portfolio returns and record household wealth, retail participants enter 2026 with both confidence and the ability to further increase market participation."