Looking back, 2024 clearly echoed many of the themes from 2023. By and large, the economy continued to defy expectations and surprised once again to the upside. Stocks continued their strong performance, driven by powerful trends in artificial intelligence and technology. On the other hand, the bond market experienced another lackluster year amid policy ambiguity and uneasiness over rising debt levels.

As we look to 2025, we remain cautiously optimistic. We’re cautious because no market environment is ever permanent, yet optimistic since constructive long-term technology trends are in place. Plus, potential tax policy and deregulation efforts in 2025 could provide some tailwinds — particularly from an economic perspective. While growth asset returns are not expected to be as robust in 2025, the investment environment should prove to be favorable for investors.