The market is rallying, with all three major indexes climbing and top stocks such as Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), and (NASDAQ: AAPL) leading the way. These industry leaders and many of today's other best performers suffered last year, as indexes wandered into bear territory. In spite of this year's gains, though, we still haven't reached that phase of expansion we're all waiting for: the next bull market.

At the same time, economic woes such as high prices still are weighing on consumers and businesses -- an element that could hold back spending and put a dent in corporate earnings, therefore weighing on stock prices. And as we step into December, many people are thinking more about preparing for the holidays than investing.

So, even though recent stock market gains are a reason to cheer, should you really invest now -- or wait until the new year? Let's find out.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com