These five 'mega trends' are producing soaring stocks regardless of Trump, tariffs or the economy

The idea that "uncertainty" has returned to the stock market in 2018 is perhaps the understatement of the year. Protectionist trade policies are whipsawing the S&P 500 SPX, 0.35% based on the news cycle, and headlines can cause individual segments of the market to move even more dramatically. Just look at the slump for Harley-Davidson Inc. HOG, 0.69% in late June, and how automakers responded to discussions of targeted tariffs last week. There are plenty of investors who are a bit testy about this, since one tweet by Donald Trump or the latest tit-for-tat in tariffs can undercut their strategy. But there are still stocks that are very much on the upswing regardless of trade escalations.