The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that Wall Street banks have weighed in with their 2026 market forecasts, and -- shocker -- they are calling for stocks to rise. The Globe's John Heinzl writes that Morgan Stanley sees the S&P 500 gaining as much as 14 per cent from current levels. Deutsche Bank is even more bullish, calling for the U.S. benchmark to rise about 17 per cent. Even Bank of America, the bear of the bunch, still predicts a gain of 4 per cent. None of these predictions matter. By this time next year nobody will remember what each broker said. Mr. Heinzl is calling for volatility. Such is the nature of markets, especially when computer algorithms account for an estimated two-thirds of trading. So strap yourselves in, folks, because 2026 is going to be a real roller coaster. If you pay attention to the financial media, you will know that consumers everywhere are always "nervous." They are nervous about their jobs, their household debt, the economy, the stock market, inflation, retirement, you name it. It does not actually matter what condition the economy is in: You never hear about consumers being "relaxed" or "not having a care in the world." Why would 2026 be any different? It will not.