Head and Shoulders

U.S. equities have piled on way-above-average returns in the last five months. But what can investors expect over the next few years? The charts show some patterns, and they hint that returns could revert to a longer-term, lower average -- but what might that be?

With all the grim economic news out of Europe and China and the disappointing U.S. jobs report, a stock market rally may seem counterintuitive. But several technical signals suggest that the market is ready for a modest rally in the next few weeks.

Rather than try to forecast whether corporate profits will exceed heightened expectations or disappoint in the second half, let's turn to a few basic technical charts for a (possibly) more objective view of where stocks might be heading.

The markets could be in for a wild ride in 2010. DailyFinance takes a look at one potential scenario for the year, one that takes the upcoming national elections in the U.S. into account.