When you see the word “forecast,” it should be closely followed by, “Forecasts are based on assumptions and are subject to revisions over time. Financial, economic, political, and regulatory issues may cause the actual results to differ from the forecast.” That was so true in 2025. After April 2, 2025, when Liberation Day tariffs were rolled out, many market gurus lowered their full-year forecast for the S&P 500—only to update their outlook again a few months later as stock prices roared higher. So a lesson learned—forecasts can be moving targets on Wall Street. The table shows what the Street’s best and brightest are looking for in 2026. If you toss out the highest and lowest, you can see that the others settle into a pretty tight range for the year. |
What the table doesn’t show is that there will be highs and lows during the year. There will be times when stock prices look invincible. And there will be times when you wonder why you invest in stocks at all. So here’s to a Happy New Year! In 2026, let’s all follow the scout motto and “Be Prepared.” |
TheStreet.com, “Bank of America unveils surprise 2026 stock-market forecast,” December 4, 2025. |
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