With one month left to go in 2023, stocks seem set to finish the year with a big win.

Through the end of November, the S 500 index is up 19%, while the Nasdaq Composite has jumped a whopping 36% this year, paced by excitement over new AI technologies. In addition to the AI boom, stocks have also benefited from a resilient economy, generally strong earnings reports, and inflation falling faster than expected.

However, not every stock has been a winner this year. Among those that have struggled are regional bank stocks, as the sector plunged in March when Silicon Valley Bank went under. Since then, regional banks have faced pressure from elevated interest rates -- which have led to competition for deposits, meaning they've had to raise the rates that they're paying for deposits -- economic uncertainty, and the threat of tighter regulations in the aftermath of the crisis.

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Source Fool.com