The S&P 500 Finished January Up 1.4%. Is This a Good Sign for Stocks in the Rest of 2026?

The stock market is off to a positive start to 2026 and continues to reach new highs. The S&P 500's (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) gains as of the end of January were 1.4%, which is noticeably lower than last year when it rose by 2.7% during the first month of the year. While it's a gain to start 2026, and that's a good sign, it has only risen by about half as much as it did a year ago. Is this a cause for concern, or is the stock market still likely to do well this year? Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst ...