It's been a roller-coaster year for financial markets - but US stock investors are heading into 2026 on a high note.
US President Donald Trump's global trade tariffs sent shockwaves through markets in the spring. But by summer, the US saw record highs fuelled by strong company profits and confidence in artificial intelligence investments.
The S&P 500 index is on track to end the year up about 17%, the third consecutive year of double-digit gains.
Next year could shape up to be yet another big one for stock investors, analysts say. Still, with leadership changes at the US central bank and mounting concerns that AI stocks are overvalued, the path ahead might be bumpy.
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite index is poised for a 21% gain this year, while the Russell 2000 index of smaller companies is roughly 12% higher year-to-date.
