The last three months over every year, the fourth-quarter, is often the period which see an increase in trading volumes as well as the time of the year where most traders make the majority of their income. There are several reasons for this which can range from end-of-year performance pressures by managers which leads to a general increase in trading volumes across all asset classes to an overall lift in the mood of traders due to seasonal factors such as Christmas. The increase in asset prices is therefore also called the Santa Clause Rally.