By Andrew Moran Contributing Writer It was a year for the history books in the U.S. stock market, and optimism is running high as Wall Street turns the page to a new calendar year. Various themes have dominated the equities arena over the past 12 months, including artificial intelligence, tariffs, and expectations for Federal Reserve policy. Despite the springtime selloff driven by global uncertainty stemming from the U.S. administration’s trade agenda, investors finished the year with handsome gains. The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average surged by 14%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index soared by 21%. The broader S&P 500 Index climbed by 17%. Many stocks in the leading benchmark indexes outpaced the broader market, while others failed to participate in the historical bull run. …