Equity investors face heightened volatility due to rising interest rates, inflation concerns, and trade tensions, with only 19% of surveyed investors expecting stock gains in the next six months—an extremely low sentiment level. Historically, such poor sentiment can signal a market rebound, and despite potential short-term risks, a bull market is expected to continue, driven by economic growth and AI adoption, with a year-end S&P 500 target of 6,600.