"Difficult to say," Yoda said. "Always in motion is the future."

That's particularly true in the stock market, where game-changing events can arrive without warning and the unpredictable price moves inspired classics like Burton Malkiel's "A Random Walk Down Wall Street."

That being said, historical patterns suggest that certain outcomes are more likely than not. As a group, stock prices tend to rise in the long run. Thanks to population growth, technological advancements, and increases in productivity, humanity generates more economic value over time, even when adjusted for inflation.

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Source Fool.com