After coming within points of an all-time high, stocks have begun to stumble, and volatility appears to be returning to the markets.
This has led some market pros to declare that an amazing four-year rally in stocks is over and that we’re on the precipice of a new crash.
And there is certainly no shortage of logic to support that view.
Massive U.S. federal budget cuts are looming, political instability in Europe is returning, and currency values around the world are falling.
And by many measures, U.S. stocks look due for a comeuppance. Valuations are elevated, profit margins are at all-time highs, and there are signs of investor complacency everywhere.