At the big banks and the boutique investment shops, an optimistic consensus has taken hold: the US stock market will rally in 2026 for a fourth straight year, marking the longest winning streak in nearly two decades. There’s plenty of angst about the risks to the bull run that’s pushed the S&P 500 Index up some 90% since its October 2022 low. The artificial-intelligence boom could turn to bust. The economy — and the Federal Reserve ’s interest-rate decisions — could defy expectations. And President Donald Trump ’s second year could bring even more unanticipated shocks than his first.

Source: New Zealand Herald December 29, 2025 22:20 UTC