I don’t want to be a Grinch, but at Christmas, you tell the truth: everyone is bullish, and I can’t help but feel a bit concerned.
Of course, expensive stocks can always get more expensive. But there are several reasons why a pullback in early 2025 wouldn’t just be likely – it would be healthy. Markets don’t move upward indefinitely – corrections help reset valuations to more sustainable levels and blow some of the froth off the top.
While a rising tide lifts all boats, it also obscures which companies have strong underlying business models. When the tide goes out, you discover who’s been swimming naked – and who’s merely riding the wave of exuberance, which this year has been thanks to AI “animal spirits” and the fabled Trump Bump.