This stock-market predictor with a great record is even more bullish now than it was last year

Surging consumer sentiment in January will provide bullish support for stocks for the rest of the year.

That’s the implication of a study published several years ago in the International Review of Financial Analysis. The correlation exists because of when investors typically alter the equity allocations of their monthly 401(k) contributions — that is, how much of their monthly payroll deductions go into stocks as opposed to other asset classes. Though investors can alter that equity allocation at any time, most typically…