Looking Ahead to 2022 with ‘Realistic Optimism’ Stock valuations are driven by future expectations. That mindset proved beneficial to equity investors who were willing to look towards the future with optimistic expectations for a re-opened world and the resultant economic recovery. They have been rewarded with positive returns over the past twelve months, but now that we are in recovery mode, what comes next? Our Three Tactical Rules* shape our view as we look out over the next ninety days. Looking longer term, however, we also consider many qualitative inputs to help inform decision making. No one of these, individually, is enough to prompt a decision. Our views on these variables, combined with our tactical signals, inform portfolio positioning. Here are some of the themes we are watching now.