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Every Wall Street analyst is predicting a stock rally in 2026

Sell-side strategists are marching in lockstep optimism, with the average year-end S&P 500 forecast implying a 9% gain this year

    • If the Wall Street forecasters are correct in 2026, stocks are heading for their longest stretch of annual gains since the lead-up to the global financial crisis.
    • If the Wall Street forecasters are correct in 2026, stocks are heading for their longest stretch of annual gains since the lead-up to the global financial crisis. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
    Published Fri, Jan 2, 2026 · 11:36 AM

    AT THE big banks and the boutique investment shops, an optimistic consensus has taken hold: The US stock market will rally in 2026 for a fourth straight year, marking the longest winning streak in nearly two decades.

    There’s plenty of angst about the risks to the bull run that has pushed the S&P 500 Index up some 90 per cent since its October 2022 low.

    The artificial intelligence (AI) boom could turn to bust. The economy – and the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decisions – could defy expectations. And US President Donald Trump’s second year could bring even more unanticipated shocks than his first.

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