Our team looks at a lot of research throughout the day. Here are a handful that we think are good summations of investor activity, from market expectations to corporate fundamentals, a resilient economy relative to others, and changes in business over recent decades. Here’s to a great year ahead!
John Luke: Wall Street is bullish for 2026 but not to an overly enthusiastic degree
Graphic as of 12.30.2025
Dave: Megacap leadership has been a key theme in recent years
Brett: but don’t overlook the contribution from the rest of the S&P 500 stocks
John: The “First 5 Days” barometer was in the green for January 2026
Data as of 01.08.2026
John: and the track record for NASDAQ’s First 5 Days is even more positive
Data as of 01.08.2026
Brad: After a period of multiple expansion being a key driver of US stocks, earnings took charge as the catalyst in 2025
Data as of 01.02.2026
Brad: and the earnings backdrop remains favorable as large corporations continue to lift profit margins
Beckham: Productivity is at the center of the “rising profit margins” story as companies do more without major hiring
Data as of 01.08.2026
Jake: and the sources of strength go way beyond artificial intelligence (AI) spending
Source: TS Lombard as of 01.06.2026
John Luke: As slow as the housing market has been, it’s at least strong enough to keep employment stable
Data as of 01.02.2026
JD: and countries around the world are spending money to keep economies humming along
Source: Apollo as of 01.05.2026
Ten: Foreign stocks took a rare position of leadership in 2025
Data as of 01.02.2026
Brian: with valuation a key contributor to the catch-up trade
Source: Bloomberg as of 01.04.2026
Joseph: and a weaker US dollar providing a tailwind to foreign stocks
Data as of 12.30.2025
John Luke: Companies and industries that have figured out how to get the most out of their workers have been rewarded by investors
Data as of November 2025
Beckham: but it looks like department stores missed that memo
Source: Brookings Institution as of 01.07.2026
Brad: There seems to be a bubble in calling a tech bubble; the financing in this cycle is far cleaner than in the dotcom era
Data as of 01.02.2026
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