Q2 2026 has posted a dramatic upswing after the modest decline of the first quarter. The S&P 500 was up 14.9% for the quarter and 9.5% for the year. The NASDAQ was higher by 21.4% for the second quarter, recovering the Q1 downswing and is now up 12.8% so far in 2026. On 1-7-26 The Wall Street Journal had announced a “media partnership” with a prediction market upstart named Polymarket. With little sense of irony less than six months later, the Journal published a piece of inv

Q1 2026 was centered on the idea of an “AI” tech theme and expected interest rate cuts. Now, the Iran war and the oil price shock are the center of focus. The extended sequence of positive returns has paused as the market booked a negative quarter with the S&P falling -4.4%. The adversity and cost of conflict in the Middle East are challenges that have been imposed on society numerous times. Wars produce spikes in energy prices that lead to broad concern about cost and the sp