NEW YORK, NY – A groundbreaking new consensus has emerged from the world's leading financial institutions: the market, it turns out, is largely operating on pure, unadulterated vibes. After years of attempting to correlate complex algorithms and geopolitical events with stock movements, analysts have finally conceded that the current economic landscape is best understood as a highly volatile, collective hallucination.

“We’ve crunched the numbers, modeled the data, and run every conceivable regression,” stated Dr. Evelyn Thorne, head of 'Existential Market Interpretation' at Quantum Capital. “What we’ve consistently found is a strong negative correlation between fundamental economic indicators and investor sentiment. Basically, the worse things get, the more people seem to shrug and buy more meme stocks.”

This revelation comes after Principal Asset Management chief global strategist Seema Shah noted a “fair amount of complacency” and a “disconnect between markets and fundamentals,” a sentiment echoed by countless other analysts who, for years, have been paid handsomely to state the obvious with increasing alarm. The new consensus suggests that the market has evolved beyond mere irrational exuberance, entering a new phase best described as 'optimistic detachment.'

“It’s like everyone decided simultaneously that reality is just a suggestion,” added Thorne. “We’re now advising clients to invest in whatever feels good, or perhaps whatever their dog barks at most enthusiastically.”

Economists are now reportedly working on a new metric, the 'Collective Delusion Index,' to better predict future market movements, which will primarily track TikTok trends and the average number of times 'this is fine' GIFs are shared online.