Stocks were slightly higher in afternoon trading Thursday as the market looks to add to its gains from earlier in the week.

Since the start of 2024, the S&P 500 has never once closed below its 200-day moving average, according to Bespoke Investment Group. Barring a sharp selloff between now and the end of the year, this would be only the 12th time since 1952 that this has happened.

Some of the biggest winners were mega-cap tech stocks, with Tesla up by 6% while Broadcom, Netflix, and Amazon each gained about 2%.

Tuesday kicks off a historically merry period for investors, a stretch known familiarly as the Santa Claus rally for the positive stock market returns typically enjoyed during the holiday season, potentially bringing further gains to a largely cheery 2024 for equities.

Lennar Corporation shares fell 9% in Thursday’s premarket session after the homebuilder blamed rising mortgage costs for a slowdown in its sales that saw it fall short of analysts expectations.

Kaltbaum Capital Management's Gary Kaltbaum and Scarlet Oak Financial's Frances Newton Stacy give their economic outlook heading into 2025 on 'Your World.'