The only January indicator worth following has a message for investors - MarketWatch

1. January Sentiment Effect predicts bearish market conditions for 2025. 2. Consumer sentiment index declined from 74.0 in December to 71.1 in January. 3. Bearish sentiment exceeds Wall Street's expectations of a modest decline to 73.2. 4. Higher sentiment historically correlates with stronger S&P 500 returns throughout the year. 5. Recent trends indicate potential downturn in S&P 500 performance.