Xmas cheer missing for markets this Dec

Santa's sleigh seems to have taken a detour this year, leaving behind a subdued holiday market instead of presents.

- Niti Kiran & Mayur Bhalerao

Santa's sleigh seems to have taken a detour this year, leaving behind a subdued holiday market instead of presents. After falling 1.7% so far, December seems poised to clock the second-worst returns in a decade, next only to the near-4% fall in December 2022.

If market closes around these levels, it would also mark the fifth time in the last 10 years that the Sensex has posted negative returns in December. In contrast, last year, markets saw an impressive return of 7.8% during the holiday month. Despite the downturn, experts said this market dip presents an opportunity for savvy investors.

Deven Choksey, managing director of DRChoksey FinServ Pvt. Ltd, attributed the December drop to profitbooking, a shift in sector preferences toward IPOs, and a pullback by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in anticipation of a stronger dollar and a weaker rupee. "Large-cap stocks were sold off to fund investments in IPO-related opportunities for better returns," Choksey explained.