Rather than provide forecasts, this outlook seeks to determine whether the fundamental expectations baked into stocks and bonds are reasonable and where the risks lie.

The Santa Claus Rally period starts Tuesday, with stocks rising an average of 1.3%. The Grinch might spoil our bullish holiday season, but the odds favor Santa’s arrival.

Higher inflation and a resilient economy have some wondering if the Fed will cut rates this week. This week will be full of economic data ahead of the Christmas week.

The solid jobs report had enough cracks to cause the Fed to want some insurance against economic downside risks by cutting rates. The coming CPI report is significant.

What does baseball have to do with picking stocks? Turns out Babe Ruth and Warren Buffett can teach us a few things about investing.