John Stoltzfus, a strategist at Oppenheimer Asset Management, expects the S&P 500 to rise 18% next year, becoming the most optimistic forecaster among the institutions tracked by Bloomberg for the third year in a row. The strategist predicts that, driven by strong economic growth and monetary policy relaxation, the S&P 500 index will run around 8,100 points by the end of 2026. His optimistic expectations for this year's stock market trend have proven to be quite accurate. Currently, the S&P 500 is only about 3% short of the target he set for the end of 2025. “We are still bullish on stocks and see them as the most favored asset class,” Stoltzfus wrote in a report. Relaxed monetary and fiscal policies, as well as strong corporate profits, are “the core factors underpinning our 2026 price target,” he added.

John Stoltzfus, a strategist at Oppenheimer Asset Management, expects the S&P 500 to rise 18% next year, becoming the most optimistic forecaster among the institutions tracked by Bloomberg for the third year in a row. The strategist predicts that, driven by strong economic growth and monetary policy relaxation, the S&P 500 index will run around 8,100 points by the end of 2026. His optimistic expectations for this year's stock market trend have proven to be quite accurate. Currently, the S&P 500 is only about 3% short of the target he set for the end of 2025. “We are still bullish on stocks and see them as the most favored asset class,” Stoltzfus wrote in a report. Relaxed monetary and fiscal policies, as well as strong corporate profits, are “the core factors underpinning our 2026 price target,” he added.