JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM, XETRA:CMC) forecast the S&P 500 could climb to 7,500 by the end of 2026, and potentially exceed 8,000 if the Federal Reserve eases monetary policy more aggressively than expected, according to its 2026 Global Equity Outlook. The bank's baseline projection assumes two additional Fed rate cuts and 13% to 15% annual earnings growth for US companies, underpinned by a resilient economy and an investment surge in artificial intelligence technology.
JPMorgan has an optimistic view on U.S. stock markets next year, and AI momentum will be playing a starring role.
A place in the S&P 500 is a coveted spot for companies, as it exposes their shares to a much broader range of investors.
The S&P 500 had a volatile week, marked by sharp daily swings that saw the index fall below its 50-day moving average for the first time since April. The index ultimately posted a weekly loss of -2.0%.
Nvidia's sudden reversal is raising red flags for the S&P 500 as liquidity thins and breadth weakens. Traders brace for a potential market shakeout in the weeks ahead.
As Nvidia offers blowout results, Barclays says back the AI trade as it's not going away and that means tech dominance is here to stay.
The delayed September nonfarm payrolls are due this morning
Every three months, we take a snapshot of the expectations for future earnings in the S&P 500 (SPX) at approximately the midpoint of the current quarter. The current projection for the S&P 500's earnings per share through the end of 2025 is $244.51, which would represent a 16.3% year-over-year gain over December 2024's finalized earnings of $210.17. Looking further forward through the end of 2026, Standard & Poor's projects the S&P 500's earnings will be $281.78 per share.
As the S&P 500 broke below the 50-day average for the first time in 139 sessions, MarketWatch looked back to find out what happened when the benchmark index broke below that technical level in the past.
The S&P 500 experienced a volatile Friday, which ultimately ended with the index posting a minor weekly gain of 0.1%. This marks the fourth weekly gain in the past five weeks.
As the technology sector has been sliding, the healthcare sector has surged
Bitcoin skids; the U.S. plans to eliminate tariffs on bananas and coffee on four Latin American countries