Record Highs and Low Volatility: Is Wall Street Too Complacent Ahead of Midterm Elections?

U. S. stocks could be heading toward a tricky patch over the next two months, with midterm elections in focus, longer-dated Treasury bond yields trading at multiyear highs, and volatility readings suppressed.

The equal weighted index of the is now up more than 17% for the year, volatility gauges are trading at the lowest levels since early January, and data suggest fading bets on an autumn Federal Reserve rate hike.