July 9, 2025 - The S&P 500 experienced more volatility, beginning in late 2024, with modest setbacks in October and December 2024, then reached an all-time high before a short significant retreat.

December 19, 2024 - Hot on the heels of a strong 2023 (+26%), 2024 will likely return another 20%+ return. Back-to-back 20% years are rare (it’s only happened 8 times since the end of WW2) so you might wonder if that’s bearish for the following year.

Time is the stock market's superpower, and if you stay invested long enough, you're all but guaranteed to see positive total returns. Even if the market experiences a significant downturn in the coming months, it will inevitably recover eventually.

Answer: There has been no crash in 2024 and so far no sign of a crash. The large tech stocks and ETFs that focus on the large tech stocks ran up well above averages, so are now pulling back a bit to get back within Bollinger bands.

March 24, 2025 - The S&P 500 currently trades at nearly 22x times its next 12-month earnings estimate, a level not seen outside of periods like the late-1990s tech boom and the recent post-COVID recovery, when interest rates were near zero. Investors have shown a willingness to pay higher multiples, but with valuations now at extremes, earnings growth will likely play an important role in determining the stock market’s path in 2025.

February 24, 2025 - For a long-term view, you need to consider whether the American economy will strengthen and grow, and whether this growth will be reflected in the value of a well-diversified stock portfolio. I define a long-term investor as someone investing to attain a specific goal or assure their long-term financial security, and who does not plan on selling their stocks within the next ten years. If you do not plan on holding your investment portfolio for at least ten years (or minimally seven years), then I advise you not to invest in the stock market.

December 2, 2025 - However, while the stock market recovered to its previous high in September 2024, the bond market has not yet fully emerged from underwater.

With inflation appearing to be on its way down and the Fed having expressed a willingness to lower policy rates, stock/bond correlations are not likely to rise if history holds true, suggesting that bonds could continue to be effective diversifiers of stock risk this fall. ... While bonds effectively diversified stock market risk this summer, liquid alternative funds showed up for investors too.

Investors are navigating not just uncertainty, but an unstable environment influenced by tariffs and inflation, among other factors. While volatility may increase, there is likely room for another solid year in 2026, especially for fixed income ...

October 14, 2024 - Now, despite that roller-coaster ride, stocks finished the quarter up 6%. So as we head into the fourth quarter, investors are naturally wondering, will the rotation persist? Will the economy hold up? And what will the Fed’s next move be? Here today to share their outlooks for the market and the economy are Dave Sekera, chief US market strategist for Morningstar Research Services, and Preston Caldwell, chief US economist with Morningstar Research Services.

May 6, 2025 - The S&P 500 is up 10% year-to-date as investors have shrugged off mixed economic data and now anticipate lower inflation, earnings growth acceleration and interest rate cuts in the second half of 2024.

It has recovered from the September low, but is well below 20.00, a psychologically significant figure. However, VIX futures expiring in the second quarter of 2024 are elevated, indicating financial market concerns for the first half of 2024, ...

April 2, 2025 - “It would kinda be an offset.” ... unlikely in a recession. As a result, Lee bluntly concludes, “Stocks should rally tomorrow after the close,” said Lee....

December 31, 2024 - Retirement plans in the form of a 401(k) or other pension fund are often invested in indices like the S&P 500. So, when stocks have a standout year, your account balance will benefit. Despite fizzling out in December and missing an expected “Santa Claus rally” to close out 2024, markets notched a blockbuster year, building off a strong 2023.

Thank you, Sam. Well, first of all, the first message is that we maintain a bearish outlook since pretty much mid-2023. Um, so if you take a look, oil prices averaged about, um, $68 this year, down from $80 in 2024.

3 weeks ago - If companies can deliver on those expectations, stocks could keep climbing. The risk is that the market is already priced for success—with generally high valuations reflecting a generally optimistic earnings outlook. At today’s prices, the market is essentially assuming profits will keep growing at a double-digit pace.

With sluggish growth and a higher-for-longer rate environment, the market will likely follow a similar playbook to that of 2023–2024, characterized by narrow market leadership and high concentration.”

December 2, 2025 - It’s impossible to predict how long a stock market recovery will take.

Stocks are coming off another banner year, but strength has bred a frothy sentiment environment, which continues to loom as a risk for likely coming volatility.

October 27, 2025 - Even with consumer confidence at a five-month low in October, as measured by the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey, no one is guaranteeing a crash before the end of 2025 or even in 2026.