Change in U.S. real GDP: America's economic growth vastly outpaced expectations this year. Why it matters: The surprising pep in the economy helped keep corporate profits up and unemployment way down. Even more surprising was the fact inflation slowed down sharply despite such robust GDP numbers — delivering (so far) the "soft landing" that economists once thought nearly impossible, and setting the stage for a strong recovery in the stock market. S&P 500 year-to-date performance: {chart} The S&P 500 pulled off a near-total recovery from the interest rate-induced ugliness of 2022. The benchmark index is just 0.6% shy ... (full story)