On the last trading day of 2017, the S&P 500 Index closed at 2,674 points. Almost four months later, the benchmark index SPX, +0.18% is grinding around the same level. So will 2018 be a lost year for investors? Many investors are surprised, even disappointed, by the stock market’s funk of inactivity. But when viewed in context, the funk is absolutely normal, even expected. From the February 2016 low (where I issued a buy signal) to the January 2018 high, the S&P 500 rallied 1,060 points, or 58%. The Dow Jones Industrial AverageDJIA, +0.25% and Nasdaq COMP, -0.05% did even better, and the VIX VIX, +0.95% dropped to an all-time low. via