The stock market has lost all connection to reality.
It’s so overpriced, over-valued and over-inflated, the crash back to reality is going to be more than an eye-opener.
The stock market has not changed in what causes it to move.
Trader look 6-9 months down the road and buy based on perceived earnings of a particular company. Companies regularly issue earnings projections which the traders take under advice when deciding if a purchase is warranted. However earnings projections can and do go awry by events not on the horizon a the time of the original projection.
The stock market is really no different than a Casino money needed within 5 yrs or so should never be invested in stock.
While that may be true, fortunes are made and lost in the market. Just hope you have a strong cash position at retirement when you get done putting money in.