Economic news this week focuses on November Retail Sales. El Nino type weather through this winter is expected to have a positive impact on Industrial Production and the S&P 500 Index (i.e. an extra 3% gain during El Nino winters). The month of December is the strongest month of the year for North American equity indices. However, strength tends to be concentrated during the last two weeks of the month (i.e. Christmas rally period).
