The U.S. economy continues to outperform expectations. Aggressive interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve to slow the economy and combat a spike in inflation following the pandemic were widely predicted…

Despite the volatility, stocks have performed well this year. Year-to-date through the end of November, the S&P 500 has gained 19%. With all the uncertainties facing investors at this time last year, many have been surprised by the market’s advance this year.

At the beginning of this year, many economists forecast a significant recession to materialize by now. Instead, the economy has continued to grow despite the strong headwind from much higher interest rates. With inflation waning and continued broad-based momentum in…