October 7, 2026 — Markets have always had ups and downs, but there are times when the headlines point more to downs while stocks deliver more ups. This seems to be one of those times as stocks maintain strong 2026 returns – the Nasdaq just set a fresh all-time high this week — even as the list of investor concerns is long. The so-called “wall of worry” that stocks have been climbing includes geopolitical conflict, rising interest rates, and concerns about artificial intelligence (AI).