Be sure and read "Santa Claus Rally Re-Tooled" #msg-15768641
"...With my new rule (buying on Dec. 17 and selling on Jan. 8 every year), net profits would have more than doubled those of the original. Starting with $100 in 1897 and trading every Santa Claus rally period, cumulative equity would have grown by $1,317.05 by January 2006. In contrast, using Hirsch's original rule (buying on Dec. 21 and selling on Jan. 3 every year), cumulative equity would have grown by $639.58. Stated in terms of compound average annual growth rates, my new rule would have gained 2.5% annually, vs. a 1.9% yearly gain for Hirsch's original rule... "