Five Wall Street investors are navigating the upcoming year with cautious optimism, despite the S&P 500's strong recent performance. Concerns linger regarding the high valuations of AI companies, interest rate trajectories, and political uncertainties. Investors are adopting more surgical approaches, with some employing strategies like buffered ETFs to mitigate market swings and protect against potential declines in AI and big tech stocks, while still acknowledging potential for further gains.