The U.S. economy expanded 2.5% last year, an acceleration from 1.9% in 2022 and above the 10-year average of 2.3%. That economic momentum sent the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) soaring 24% in 2023, its third-best annual performance of the past decade.Not many people saw that coming. After inflation hit a four-decade high in 2022, the Federal Reserve compensated by raising interest rates.