Contrary to popular belief, earnings growth has a very low correlation with decadal stock returns. The primary driver is the change in the valuation multiple (e.g., P/E ratio expansion or contraction). The correlation between 10-year real returns and 10-year valuation changes is a staggering 0.9, while it is tiny for earnings growth.

Holding cash is a losing strategy because governments consistently respond to economic crises by printing money. This devalues savings, effectively forcing individuals to invest in assets like stocks simply to protect their purchasing power against inflation.

For commodities to benefit from reflation, rising inflation alone is not sufficient. It must be accompanied by a genuine economic and industrial rebound, indicated by rising Purchasing Managers' Indexes (PMIs). This combination dramatically improves commodity returns, especially for energy and industrial metals.

For 2026, AI's primary economic effect is fueling demand through massive investment in infrastructure like data centers. The widely expected productivity gains that would lower inflation (the supply-side effect) won't materialize for a few years, creating a short-term inflationary pressure from heightened business spending.

When the prevailing narrative, supported by Fed actions, is that the economy will 'run hot,' it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Consumers and institutions alter their behavior by borrowing more and buying hard assets, which in turn fuels actual inflation.

Current market multiples appear rich compared to history, but this view may be shortsighted. The long-term earnings potential unleashed by AI, combined with a higher-quality market composition, could make today's valuations seem artificially high ahead of a major earnings inflection.

The Fed is prioritizing its labor market mandate over its inflation target. This "asymmetrically dovish" policy is expected to lead to stronger growth and higher inflation, biasing inflation expectations and long-end yields upward, causing the yield curve to steepen.

Profitable companies act as a hedge against currency debasement. They issue long-term debt at low fixed rates, effectively shorting the currency. They then invest the proceeds into productive assets or their own stock, which tend to outperform inflation, benefiting shareholders.

A sharp, V-shaped rebound in corporate earnings revision breadth is a powerful but uncommon leading indicator. It suggests the private economy is decisively exiting an earnings recession and shifting into an early-cycle recovery, often before traditional economic data confirms the trend.