Wall Street strategists have rapidly lifted forecasts for the S&P 500, with some now saying the index could reach 7,000 this year as strong corporate earnings and renewed interest in artificial intelligence fuel record gains. Deutsche Bank strategist Binky Chadha raised his year‑end target to 7,000, more than 7% above levels at the time, while Wells Fargo Securities expects an 11% rise to year‑end.

Barclays’ Venu Krishna boosted his year‑end target to 6,450 from 6,050 and sees the rally continuing into next year toward 7,000, writing that they view the outlook as a “glass half full.” Wells Fargo’s Ohsung Kwon cautioned there is “some bubble, but if AI investment doesn’t change, the bull market should continue.” JP Morgan’s Dubravko Lakos‑Bujas noted short‑term risks from inflation and seasonality but said the index could recover to roughly 7,000 early next year on easing political headwinds, lower rates and record shareholder payouts.

U.S. stocks have climbed on expectations of Fed rate cuts and resilient growth: the S&P 500 closed at a record on Tuesday, up 11% year‑to‑date, while the Nasdaq 100 is up 13%. Bloomberg Intelligence data cited in strategists’ notes project S&P 500 earnings rising nearly 10% in 2025 and about 13% in 2026. Source: Bloomberg. #SP500 #NASDAQ100 #AI #markets #FiatNews