Stubbornly high inflation, a debt ceiling brawl, a brief banking crisis and the prospect of even higher interest rates: The past six months brought much to unsettle even the most optimistic investor.Yet at the halfway point of 2023, the tone among investors is noticeably more upbeat than it was over the past 12 months, when the Federal Reserve ratcheted up interest rates to stymie demand in the economy and curb inflation.Investors have welcomed data showing that the economy remains on more solid footing than was expected at the start of the year. Corporate profits have surpassed expectations. Inflation is easing, albeit more slowly than forecast, and policymakers have signaled that they expect interest rates will soon reach their peak. The more time that has passed without investors’ worst fears being realized, the more o …
