Many investors aren’t quite sure how to feel about the market right now. According to a February 2026 survey from the American Association of Individual Investors, around 35% feel optimistic about the next six months, 37% feel pessimistic, and the remaining 28% feel neutral. So if you’re having mixed feelings about investing, you’re not alone.

As the world’s largest manufacturer of heavy construction and mining equipment, Caterpillar (CAT) has long been seen as a bellwether for the global economy. Happily for long-term shareholders, CAT’s returns have greatly outpaced the global economy – and U.S. stock market – for decades. Caterpillar’s outperformance in the 21st century was never a foregone conclusion.

Nasdaq logo Cloud, AI and blockchain push: Nasdaq says it is “fully scaled in cloud,” is migrating options markets to its Fusion platform (seven of eight live), building an intelligence layer and plans to deploy hundreds—scaling to thousands—of AI agents, while preparing 23/5 trading subject to regulatory approval. Financial targets, productivity and capital returns: Management

I’m not going to hold myself out as an expert on investing. But I believe I have some helpful advice for at least some investors, thanks to working at The Motley Fool for more than a decade, my prior related business experience (which involved meeting with top management, sometimes at publicly traded companies), and graduate